Blackpool crime levels revert to pre-Covid levels

Crime levels which plummeted during the Covid lockdowns in Blackpool have risen back to pre-pandemic rates, a council has said.

A total of 23,077 crimes were recorded in the seaside town in 2021 an increase of 13% compared to 2020, a report revealed.

Sex offences had the highest increase, with 902 reports - a rise of 37%.

Blackpool Council said it would tackle violence "like an infectious disease" by taking action.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said reports of rape in Blackpool had increased by 45% while sexual offences on children had increased by 25% over the period.

Some of the sex offences could be historical, the report said.

Alcohol-related crime in the town also increased by 28%, domestic abuse up by 14%, and violence and hate crime by 21%, the report said.

However, burglaries were down by 15% and drug offences also fell by 10%.

The figures were included in a safety plan which sets out the council's priorities up until 2025.

The authority acknowledged some of the areas which had experienced high crime were some of the most deprived areas in England.

The report said the council would use a "public health approach", using scientific evidence to identify what causes violence and find "interventions" to prevent it spreading.

"Preventing rather than reacting to serious violence has both human and economic benefits for individuals, families, communities, services and society as a whole," the report said.

"Therefore, we will be implementing early interventions to prevent people from becoming involved in violent crime."

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