Is Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) Safe?

Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) has a CrimeRadar safety score of 6/100, rated High Crime. A total of 905 crimes were recorded in the last 12 months, an increase of 10.2% compared to the previous year. Crime levels in Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) are above the UK average. Check the crime category breakdown below for more detail.

905 crimes were recorded in Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) in the last 12 months, spanning all reported crime categories from violent crime to vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. This represents an increase of 10.2% compared to the previous 12-month period (821 crimes). The most common category was Violent Crime, with 261 incidents.

The most common crime in Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) is Violent Crime, with 261 incidents recorded in the last 12 months — accounting for 28.8% of all reported crimes in the area. You can view a full breakdown of all crime categories, including anti-social behaviour, vehicle crime, and burglary, in the Crime by Category section on this page.

Crime in Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) is increasing. The year-on-year trend shows a rise of 10.2% — from 821 crimes in the previous 12 months to 905 in the most recent period. This upward trend is something residents and prospective buyers should factor into their decisions.

Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) has a safety score of 6 out of 100 (High Crime). CrimeRadar safety scores are calculated from crime volume, year-on-year trend, and crime resolution rate. A score of 85+ is Very Safe, 65–84 is Safe, 45–64 is Average, 25–44 is Below Average, and below 25 is High Crime.

Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) has a safety score of 6/100, while the Durham Constabulary force area average is 24/100. Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) is below the force average for safety. Use the Compare tool to see a detailed side-by-side breakdown.

30.6% of crimes recorded in Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) resulted in a formal outcome in the last 12 months. Formal outcomes include charges brought, cautions issued, fixed penalty notices, or other official resolutions recorded by Durham Constabulary. The national average outcome rate in England and Wales is typically 5–15% across most crime types. A higher rate suggests more effective local enforcement.

261 violent crimes were recorded in Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) in the last 12 months — representing 28.8% of all reported crimes. Anti-social behaviour accounted for a further 133 incidents. Violent crime encompasses assault, robbery, and related offences as classified by the UK Home Office. Data is sourced from official police reports submitted to data.police.uk.

The crime data for Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) was last updated in March 2026. CrimeRadar sources all crime data directly from the official UK Police Data API, operated by the Home Office and published at data.police.uk under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data is refreshed monthly and covers the most recent 36-month period. New monthly data is typically published with a 2-month lag.

You can compare Peterlee (Wheatley Hill/Thornley) with any other UK neighbourhood or city using the CrimeRadar Compare tool. It shows side-by-side safety scores, crime volumes by category, year-on-year trends, and crime resolution rates. The Compare tool covers all 44 police force areas across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with more than 4,000 built neighbourhoods available.