Lyme Regis Crime Rate

Lyme Regis maintains a strong reputation for safety, reflected in its high safety score of 86 out of 100. The area's overall crime rate stands at 57.9 per 1,000 residents, which is significantly lower than the UK national average of 91.7. This coastal town has seen a positive shift in its security landscape, with a notable 17.0% decrease in total crime year-over-year. This downward trend suggests a community that is becoming increasingly secure. While certain crime types remain more prevalent than others, the statistical data places Lyme Regis well within the safer bracket of UK urban settlements, offering residents and visitors a high degree of peace of mind.

In Lyme Regis, the most frequent crime categories are violence and sexual offences, which account for 39.1% of all incidents, followed by anti-social behaviour at 22.8%, and burglary at 10.2%. Collectively, property-related crimes—which include burglary, robbery, theft, criminal damage, and vehicle crime—occur at a rate of 18.1 per 1,000 residents. This relatively low property crime rate suggests that while standard precautions are necessary, the volume of acquisitive crime is significantly lower than in many other urban areas. For local homeowners, the prevalence of burglary as the third highest crime type indicates that residential security remains a relevant consideration, even in a generally safe coastal environment.

The crime trend in Lyme Regis is currently on a downward trajectory, with a significant 17.0% decrease in total offences compared to the previous year. An analysis of the monthly data from Dec 2024 to Nov 2025 reveals a seasonal pattern typical of a coastal resort. Crime rates peaked during the summer months, specifically in July and August 2025, reaching 7.3 per 1,000 residents. This likely coincides with the influx of seasonal visitors. Conversely, the rates dropped sharply as the year progressed, falling to a low of 1.9 in October 2025. This overall reduction is an encouraging sign for residents, indicating that the area is becoming statistically safer over time, despite the expected fluctuations during the peak holiday season.

How To Keep Safe in Lyme Regis

The most prevalent crime type in Lyme Regis is violence and sexual offences, which often includes incidents between known individuals or low-level public order issues. To enhance your personal safety, stay aware of your surroundings, particularly during the busier tourist months when the town is more crowded. When enjoying the local nightlife, stick to well-lit areas and try to walk with friends. For home safety, given that burglary is the third most common crime, ensure that all windows and doors are securely locked, even when you are inside. Avoid leaving valuables like laptops or jewellery in plain sight of windows. If you are a business owner, consider joining a local business watch scheme to stay informed about anti-social behaviour trends. Finally, always report suspicious activity to the local Dorset Police to help them allocate resources effectively across the town.

Crime in Lyme Regis follows distinct temporal patterns, with activity levels fluctuating based on the time of day. Morning and afternoon periods are characterised by higher rates of theft and burglary, often occurring when properties are left unattended during working hours or when retail activity is highest. Specifically, 38% of burglaries occur in the afternoon. As the day transitions into the evening, anti-social behaviour becomes more prominent. The night-time hours, between midnight and 6 am, see a significant concentration of burglary (43%) and vehicle crime (22%), suggesting that offenders target the cover of darkness to approach residential and parked assets. Understanding these windows of vulnerability allows residents to be more vigilant during high-risk periods.

When comparing Lyme Regis to its immediate surroundings, it is clear that the town serves as the primary hub for activity in the area, reflected in its crime rate of 57.9 per 1,000 people. This is higher than nearby Uplyme, which recorded a rate of 31.5, and Charmouth at 30.4. Interestingly, smaller rural settlements such as Raymond's Hill and Musbury reported no crimes at all during this period. While Lyme Regis has a higher frequency of incidents than these smaller neighbours, it remains a very safe choice when compared to broader regional averages. The town's safety score of 86/100 highlights its status as a secure environment within the wider Dorset context, despite being busier than the surrounding villages.

With a property crime rate of 18.1 per 1,000 people, Lyme Regis residents face a moderate risk of theft and burglary. Traditional security measures, such as standard CCTV or DIY alarm systems, are often reactive—they provide evidence of a crime after it has occurred. For homeowners in Lyme Regis, moving towards proactive protection is a more effective strategy. scOS represents this shift by using AI to monitor property boundaries in real-time. Instead of simply recording a burglary, scOS is designed to prevent it by detecting suspicious patterns and activating autonomous responses, such as lighting and audible alerts, before an entry is made. This proactive approach addresses the fact that most burglars make a decision to target a property in less than a minute; visible, intelligent deterrence like scOS often encourages them to move on. By focusing on prevention rather than just recording, residents can significantly harden their homes against the local property crime risks.