Total Crime Rate

481.8 per 1,000 10/10 · Very High

All offences · Oct 2024 - Sep 2025
Latest update: 13.12.2025 Crime figures are sourced from data.police.uk and are typically published with a 3-month delay.
Crime rate per 1000 residents
  • All crimes 481.8 10/10
  • Shoplifting 354.6 10/10
  • Violence and sexual offences 47.7 8/10
  • Anti-social behaviour 25.0 8/10
  • Other theft 25.0 10/10
  • Criminal damage and arson 11.4 7/10
  • Public order 6.8 6/10
  • Theft from the person 4.6 6/10
  • Bicycle theft 2.3 1/10
  • Burglary 2.3 1/10
  • Vehicle crime 2.3 1/10
  • Drugs 0.0 1/10
  • Other crime 0.0 1/10
  • Possession of weapons 0.0 1/10
  • Robbery 0.0 1/10
Values shown per 1,000 residents · Oct 2024 - Sep 2025 · Rating compares this oa to UK peers of the same type.
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Crime overview

Merlin Way area has the 2nd highest crime rate of 76 local areas in Barton with Watcombe , and the 16th highest crime rate of 465 local areas in Torbay .

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 Merlin Way (TQ2 7TE) in the last 12 months was 481.8 per 1,000 residents and was 378.5% higher than the Barton with Watcombe average (100.7 per 1,000 residents). In the last 12 months, this area’s most reported crimes were Shoplifting with 156 offences recorded. The least common crime was Bicycle theft with 1 case , up 100.0% compared to 2024. The fastest-growing crime category was Bicycle theft ( 100.0% YoY). The sharpest decline was Burglary ( -66.7% YoY).

Violent crimes totalled 24 (≈ 54.5 per 1,000 residents). Year-over-year these were rising ( 41.2% ). Over the last decade, overall crime has falling ( -23.3% comparing early vs recent averages) .

In the area around Merlin Way (TQ2 7TE), the highest concentration of overall crime is near Shopping Area, where police recorded 72 incidents. Violent and public-order offences occur most often near Nicholson Road (8 offences). Both locations lie within roughly 0.3 miles of this postcode area.

View Crime In Barton with Watcombe

Crime Over Time in Merlin Way area

Showing crimes within 0.3 miles (11/11)
Month:
MonthCrimeLocation*Last Outcome
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Cormorant Close Unable to prosecute suspect
Sep 2025Anti-social behaviour Kingfisher Close —
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Nicholson Road Unable to prosecute suspect
Sep 2025Shoplifting Nicholson Road Under investigation
Sep 2025Anti-social behaviour Petrel Close —
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Petrel Close Under investigation
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Petrel Close Under investigation
Sep 2025Other crime Kingfisher Close Under investigation
Sep 2025Other theft Petrol Station Investigation complete; no suspect identified
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Petrol Station Investigation complete; no suspect identified
Sep 2025Violence and sexual offences Shopping Area Under investigation
* on or near this location Page 1 • Showing 11 of 11

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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