Crime statistics, obtained by Plumplot using UK police data, show a 7.2% increase in the total number of violent crimes committed in Lancaster. The figures were gathered throughout the period of October 2018 to September 2019.
Lancaster’s crime rate is at 106% compared to the national crime rate, with violent crime contributing to 34.3% of the total number of crimes committed in the city.
When compared with the crime rates of 104 UK postcodes, Lancaster was ranked the 33rd postcode with the highest crime rate. Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, and Bolton obtained slightly lower crime figures in terms of the annual crime rate per thousand workday people (33.8 per thousand in Lancaster, compared with 31.3 in Stoke-on-Trent, 32.4 in Sheffield, and 31.9 in Bolton). In January, a report published by the Home Office showed a 19% increase in violent crime reported to the police in England and Wales. The accelerating crime rate in Lancaster reflects a pattern in which UK towns and cities are becoming hubs for criminal activity, with the crime rate in Lancaster growing faster than the national average.
Discussing the higher crime figures in Lancaster, Caroline Youell, a spokesperson for the ONS (Office for National Statistics), told the Lancaster Guardian: “We have seen continued increases in some theft offences such as vehicle-related theft and burglary, while computer viruses have fallen. There have been increases in some lower-volume ‘high-harm’ offences such as homicide and knife crime, consistent with rises over the past three years.”
While the UK experienced an 8% increase in knife-crime last year, Lancashire saw a substantial increase of 33% in knife-crime. The crime figures, gathered by the ONS and the Lancashire Constabulary, mean that Lancashire is the county with the fifth-highest recorded percentage of knife-crime in the UK.
McColl’s convenience store on Barley Cop Lane, Lancaster, was robbed twice this year at knifepoint. In March, two men entered the store and threatened two members of staff. One of the thieves revealed a knife at the scene and both men physically assaulted staff members–one staff member was pushed and the other was punched in the face. The men then fled with a large sum of the company’s cash. On August 4th, McColl’s faced another armed robbery. Three men entered the store brandishing knives and threatened staff members, before hitting one member of staff with the back of the knife and hitting another over the head.
On 14th November, Lancaster Police reported an assault in which three men were viciously attacked by two men who approached the victims in the early hours of the morning. After sustaining serious injuries to the face, one of the victims required surgical attention.
Also, on the 14th November, a sexual assault is alleged to have occurred on the canal towpath, close to South Road, at approximately 12.30 am.
Anyone with information regarding violent crimes in Lancaster can dial 101, the non-emergency line, or contact Lancaster Police Station directly at 01772 614444.
