Total Crime Rate

114.6 per 1,000 8/10 · High

All offences · May 2025 - Apr 2026

Violent Crime Rate

52.6 per 1,000 8/10 · High

May 2025 - Apr 2026
Latest update: 06.06.2026 Crime figures are sourced from data.police.uk and are typically published with a 3-month delay.
Crime rate per 1000 residents
  • All crimes 114.6 8/10
  • Violent crimes 52.6 8/10
  • Violence and sexual offences 46.4 8/10
  • Anti-social behaviour 24.8 8/10
  • Criminal damage and arson 15.5 9/10
  • Other theft 6.2 6/10
  • Vehicle crime 6.2 6/10
  • Drugs 3.1 3/10
  • Other crime 3.1 3/10
  • Possession of weapons 3.1 4/10
  • Robbery 3.1 3/10
  • Theft from the person 3.1 4/10
  • Bicycle theft 0.0 1/10
  • Burglary 0.0 1/10
  • Public order 0.0 1/10
  • Shoplifting 0.0 1/10
Values shown per 1,000 residents · May 2025 - Apr 2026 · Rating compares this oa to UK peers of the same type.
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Crime overview

Birchdale Avenue area has the 18th highest crime rate of 59 local areas in Kempston Central & East , and the 123rd highest crime rate of 543 local areas in Bedford .

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 Birchdale Avenue (MK42 8NU) in the last 12 months was 114.6 per 1,000 residents and was 9.2% lower than the Kempston Central & East average (126.2 per 1,000 residents). In the last 12 months, this area’s most reported crimes were Violence and sexual offences with 15 offences recorded. The least common crime was Drugs with 1 case , up 100.0% compared to 2025. The fastest-growing crime category was Drugs ( 100.0% YoY). The sharpest decline was Vehicle crime ( -60.0% YoY).

Violent crimes totalled 17 (≈ 52.6 per 1,000 residents). Year-over-year these were falling ( -19.0% ). Over the last decade, overall crime has rising ( 82.8% comparing early vs recent averages) .

In the area around Birchdale Avenue (MK42 8NU), the main crime hotspot is near Littledale Street. Police recorded 36 crimes here, including 25 violent or public-order offences. All these locations are within roughly 0.3 miles.

Crime Over Time in Birchdale Avenue area

Showing crimes within 0.3 miles (19/19)
Month:
MonthCrimeLocation*Last Outcome
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Margetts Road Under investigation
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Park Road Under investigation
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Flanders Close Under investigation
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Spring Road Under investigation
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Spring Road Under investigation
Apr 2026Theft from the person Spring Road Under investigation
Apr 2026Criminal damage and arson Elstow Road Investigation complete; no suspect identified
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Whittingstall Avenue Under investigation
Apr 2026Drugs Spring Road Under investigation
Apr 2026Bicycle theft Ashdale Avenue Investigation complete; no suspect identified
Apr 2026Anti-social behaviour Ashdale Avenue —
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Garnith Close Offender given a caution
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Flanders Close Under investigation
Apr 2026Criminal damage and arson Park Road Under investigation
Apr 2026Criminal damage and arson Littledale Street Under investigation
Apr 2026Criminal damage and arson Thornton Street Unable to prosecute suspect
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Thornton Street Unable to prosecute suspect
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Thornton Street Under investigation
Apr 2026Violence and sexual offences Thornton Street Under investigation
* on or near this location Page 1 • Showing 19 of 19

Data Sources

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.

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