Shock Ranking Puts Hartlepool 6th Worst in England for Serious Crime..

Hartlepool was placed as the 6th worst town in the country for violence & sexual crimes involving children.

Hartlepool Among England’s Worst for Violence and Sexual Offences, New Data Reveals..

13th April 2026

Hartlepool has been named among one of the worst areas in England for serious offences — with new analysis placing the town as the 6th worst in the country for violence and sexual crimes involving children.

The findings, highlighted in a national “named and shamed” report, have intensified concerns about crime levels in the town — and appear to reinforce what official data has already been showing for years.

Government figures reveal that Hartlepool recorded 58.5 violence and sexual offences per 1,000 people in 2024, compared to a national average of 32.3 — meaning the town’s rate is significantly higher than most of the country.

Earlier data published by Hartlepool Borough Council paints an even starker picture. The council’s own crime profile confirmed the town had the second-highest rate of violence and sexual offences in the Cleveland Police area, with 74.3 offences per 1,000 people in 2022/23.

Nationally, the issue is being driven in part by rising concern over youth offending. The latest Youth Justice Statistics show violence is now the most common offence committed by children, accounting for nearly a quarter of all proven offences, while sexual offences involving under-18s have also risen sharply in recent years.

While the national newspapers ranking focuses specifically on offences involving children, and cannot be directly compared one-for-one with overall crime totals, the direction of travel is said to be both clear — and troubling.

Hartlepool's not just appearing in national league tables by chance. It's a town that's consistently recorded violence and sexual offence rates well above the England average, with both categories having risen significantly over the past decade, with the latest ranking only adding to growing unease about safety in parts of the town — particularly where repeat offending, anti-social behaviour and youth crime are already ongoing concerns.

Hartlepool Borough Council has previously pointed to partnership work, youth outreach programmes and a wider “public health” approach to tackling violence. But with the town now ranked among the worst in England by some measures, some argue that those efforts aren't delivering the results residents need.