burglary statistics west mercia
Burglary in West Mercia: police data to August 2026
Police.uk open data for West Mercia to August 2026, analysed by CCTV Master.
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Police.uk open data for West Mercia to August 2026, analysed by CCTV Master. Part of our UK burglary study; updated quarterly; this edition was published 8 October 2026.
West Mercia Police covers Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Worcestershire.
Key findings
- West Mercia Police recorded 4,250 burglaries in the year to August 2026, against 3,976 in the year before (+6.9%). The change is within the ordinary month-to-month variation for West Mercia, so we describe it as little changed.
- Council areas: burglary rose in 1 and fell in 1 of the 9 council areas below; in the rest the change was too small to call.
- Outcomes: 64.6% of burglaries recorded in the year to August 2025 ended with no suspect identified, against 72.6% across England and Wales.
- Busiest month: October averaged 13.3 burglaries a day over three years, 26.7% more than July.
- Nationally: burglary changed by -2.9% across 39 forces and rose in 15 of them; West Mercia's change ranks 6 of 39 (1 is the largest rise).
Burglary by council area in West Mercia
Recorded burglaries in each council area where West Mercia Police recorded at least 80% of the burglaries:
| Council area | Year to August 2025 | Year to August 2026 | Change | Per 1,000 residents | No suspect identified (year to August 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromsgrove | 366 | 388 | +6.0% (little changed) | 3.9 | 66.7% |
| Herefordshire | 450 | 475 | +5.6% (little changed) | 2.5 | 62.0% |
| Malvern Hills | 284 | 345 | +21.5% (little changed) | 4.3 | 73.2% |
| Redditch | 291 | 278 | -4.5% (little changed) | 3.2 | 63.2% |
| Shropshire | 749 | 781 | +4.3% (little changed) | 2.4 | 69.7% |
| Telford and Wrekin | 532 | 550 | +3.4% (little changed) | 3.0 | 55.1% |
| Worcester | 336 | 496 | +47.6% (rose) | 4.8 | 61.6% |
| Wychavon | 499 | 549 | +10.0% (little changed) | 4.1 | 68.7% |
| Wyre Forest | 412 | 352 | -14.6% (fell) | 3.5 | 60.4% |
A change is called a rise or a fall only when it is statistically clear and at least 10%; see how the study is compiled. Rates use Census 2021 residents. police.uk burglary includes business premises, so council areas with many businesses and few residents show higher rates: they are context, not a ranking. A further 21 burglaries recorded by West Mercia Police in the year to August 2026 were placed in council areas mostly policed by other forces (South Staffordshire, Stratford-on-Avon, Forest of Dean, Powys, Birmingham and others); they count towards the force total but not the table.
What happened to burglaries in West Mercia
Latest outcome on police.uk for burglaries recorded in the year to August 2025, so each case had at least a year to progress:
| Latest outcome | West Mercia | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 64.6% (2,543) | 72.6% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 23.7% (935) | 15.5% |
| Court-related | 5.4% (214) | 7.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 5.8% (228) | 3.8% |
| Other outcomes | 0.5% (18) | 0.8% |
Based on 3,938 burglaries. Differences partly reflect how each force records outcomes, so this is not a measure of police performance.
When burglary peaks in West Mercia
Average recorded burglaries per day in each calendar month, over three years (September 2023 to August 2026):
| Month | Per day |
|---|---|
| January | 11.1 |
| February | 11.4 |
| March | 10.8 |
| April | 12.6 |
| May | 10.8 |
| June | 11.8 |
| July | 10.5 |
| August | 11.6 |
| September | 13.2 |
| October | 13.3 |
| November | 11.6 |
| December | 11.8 |
Data notes
- Figures are police.uk street-level records for West Mercia Police, September 2023 to August 2026. They are operational data, not official statistics, and can differ from ONS and Home Office publications.
- 0.4% of the burglaries the force recorded in the year to August 2026 had no location; they count towards the force total only.
- Council areas are named as they are today, so police.uk's older district names are counted under the council that replaced them in April 2023: Craven as North Yorkshire.
- How the study is compiled: methodology.
Edition history
Figures quoted from an earlier edition stay traceable here:
| Edition | Burglaries (year to edition) | Change on the year before |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4,250 | +6.9% |
If you are reviewing your home security
This section is practical guidance, not a finding from the data.
- Check what your cameras show at night. Most burglaries end without a suspect being identified, and a camera only helps if a face or a number plate can be made out after dark.
- Keep footage long enough to hand over. A burglary discovered days later needs a recording that still exists. Work out how many days your recorder holds with the CCTV storage calculator.
- Know the rules before you record beyond your boundary. Our UK burglary study summarises the ICO guidance on home CCTV.
Reuse and sources
- police.uk open data and its August 2026 archive.
- Population: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021 usual residents (Nomis).
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Free to reuse: journalists and community groups may quote these figures; please credit CCTV Master with a link (any rel is fine). A spreadsheet of the tables is available on request from CCTV Master.
About this study. Compiled by CCTV Master, Quill St, Hanger Ln, London W5 1DN. CCTV Master is operated by CCTV MASTER LTD (company number 16356510). No police force or public body was involved in, or has endorsed, this analysis.
