Revealed: The most dangerous streets in the West Midlands according to crime levels
The most dangerous areas in the West Midlands have been revealed.
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The three police forces which cover the Black Country, Staffordshire and Shropshire have faced a tougher task over the last year to tackle what has been described as one of the worst years on record.
More than 2.2 million violent or sexual crimes were reported to police across 2023/24 in England and Wales, according to Government figures, with reports of crimes such as assault, GBH, murder, rape and sexual assault having tripled over the last decade.
We've taken a look at data from the Police Crime Data website, which is the site for open data about crime and policing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, over 2024 to see which areas have the most crimes recorded broken down by Lower layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs), communities consisting of around 500 to 1,500 people.
Here is the breakdown of the top five areas by West Midlands Police, Staffordshire Police and West Mercia Police:
1. Great Bridge Retail Park - 369 crimes recorded
The retail park on the edge of Great Bridge is the home of a large Asda, as well as B&M, Boots and Poundland, and has a McDonald's, KFC and Costa Coffee takeaway on the road next to the A41.
According to the Police Data website, there were 369 crimes recorded in the area around the retail park, with 266 cases of shoplifting - the highest number of crimes recorded overall (72 per cent of all crimes).
Other categories of crimes recording large numbers in and around Great Bridge Retail Park include violence and sexual offences (28 cases), public order offences (18 cases), vehicle crime (12 cases), other theft (11 cases) and anti-social behaviour (10 cases).
2. Bromford Lane, Oldbury - 363 crimes recorded
Bromford Lane runs from the edge of Oldbury up towards West Bromwich, going past Sandwell and Dudley Railway Station.
According to the Police Data website, there were 363 crimes recorded in the area, with 148 cases of violence and sexual offences - the highest number of crimes recorded overall (41 per cent of all crimes).
Other categories of crimes recording large numbers in and around Bromford Lane include public order offences (77 cases), criminal damage and arson (65 cases) and drugs (65 cases).
3. King Street, Wolverhampton - 341 crimes recorded
King Street is in Wolverhampton city centre, running from Dudley Street to Princess Street with a number of shops and pubs along the street.
According to the Police Data website, there were 341 crimes recorded in the area, with 127 cases of shoplifting - the highest number of crimes recorded overall (37 per cent of all crimes).
Other categories of crimes recording large numbers in and around King Street include violence and sexual offences (62 cases), public order offences and other crimes (23 cases each) and theft from the person (14 cases).
4. Tesco Express on Cannock Road, the Scotlands - 310 crimes recorded
The Tesco Express on Cannock Road around the Scotlands area is a densely populated area for retail, with a petrol station, a McDonald's restaurant and a large number of shops.
According to the Police Data website, there were 310 crimes recorded in the area, with 221 cases of shoplifting - the highest number of crimes recorded overall (71 per cent of all crimes).
Other categories of crimes recording large numbers in and around the area include anti-social behaviour (43 cases), other theft (10 cases) and criminal damage and arson (7 cases).
5. St Michael's Street, West Bromwich - 303 crimes recorded
The area around St Michael's Street runs near to West Bromwich High Street and West Bromwich Bus Station, as well as a number of shops, pubs and takeaways, before running onto New Street.
According to the Police Data website, there were 303 crimes recorded in the area, with 107 cases of violence and sexual offences - the highest number of crimes recorded overall (35 per cent of all crimes).
Other categories of crimes recording large numbers in and around St Michael's Street include anti-social behaviour (48 cases), other theft (33 cases), public order (28 cases), drugs (19 cases) and robbery (16 cases).
