Total Crime Rate
96.6 per 1,000
All offences · Oct 2024 - Sep 2025Merley Lane area has the 20th highest crime rate of 63 local areas in Bearwood & Merley , and the 311th highest crime rate of 1,191 local areas in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole .
This postcode sits in a local crime hotspot. Overall crime levels here are significantly higher than in the surrounding streets and the wider area.
The overall crime rate in the area around Merley Lane (BH21 3AZ) in the last 12 months was 96.6 per 1,000 residents and was 62.5% higher than the Bearwood & Merley average (59.4 per 1,000 residents). In the last 12 months, this area’s most reported crimes were Shoplifting with 17 offences recorded. The least common crime was Criminal damage and arson with 1 case , up 100.0% compared to 2024. The fastest-growing crime category was Anti-social behaviour ( 133.3% YoY). Other major crime categories were broadly unchanged compared to 2024.
Violent crimes totalled 8 (≈ 22.7 per 1,000 residents). Year-over-year these were falling ( -11.1% ). Over the last decade, overall crime has rising ( 10.8% comparing early vs recent averages) .
In the area around Merley Lane (BH21 3AZ), the highest concentration of overall crime is near Shopping Area, where police recorded 19 incidents. Violent and public-order offences occur most often near Selkirk Close (12 offences). Both locations lie within roughly 0.3 miles of this postcode area.
View Crime In Bearwood & Merley| Month | Crime | Location* | Last Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | Violence and sexual offences | Selkirk Close | Under investigation |
| Sep 2025 | Burglary | Hawker Close | Investigation complete; no suspect identified |
StreetScan crime figures are based on official UK open data:
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.