Car theft and vehicle crime in Middlesbrough
Between October 2025 and September 2026, Cleveland Police logged 640 vehicle offences inside a one-mile radius of Middlesbrough. The last three months (177) ran 45% above the three before (122), so the recent direction is up.
Middlesbrough month by month
August 2026 stands out at 77 recorded offences, while March 2026 dropped to 37. The second half was 12% quieter than the first. Average: 53.3 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 72 | +19 |
| Nov 2025 | 75 | +22 |
| Dec 2025 | 71 | +18 |
| Jan 2026 | 40 | -13 |
| Feb 2026 | 46 | -7 |
| Mar 2026 | 37 | -16 |
| Apr 2026 | 43 | -10 |
| May 2026 | 41 | -12 |
| Jun 2026 | 38 | -15 |
| Jul 2026 | 44 | -9 |
| Aug 2026 | 77 | +24 |
| Sep 2026 | 56 | +3 |
How Middlesbrough compares
Middlesbrough sits at number 11 of 84 on our table, with 53 offences a month: about 2.3 times the typical town in our set. By contrast Cardiff recorded 116 a month.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Middlesbrough averaged 59 vehicle offences a month. That puts central Middlesbrough busier than 94% of the places in our Great Britain sample. For context we counted the same one-mile radius around 400 random postcodes nationwide (Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026). Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Middlesbrough is the only Cleveland Police area on our list. Across the 5 North East towns we track it ranks 1 for vehicle crime per month.
Towns nearest to Middlesbrough
- Darlington (13 miles away): 23 a month, 57% fewer than Middlesbrough
- Durham (19 miles away): 5 a month, 91% fewer than Middlesbrough
- Sunderland (24 miles away): 22 a month, 59% fewer than Middlesbrough
Where in Middlesbrough offences were recorded
Just five locations make up 12% of the 640 offences recorded around Middlesbrough.
- On or near Parking Area: 26
- On or near Easson Street: 13
- On or near Windward Way: 13
- On or near Clough Close: 12
- On or near Harris Street: 11
What happened to Middlesbrough cases
The most common recorded outcome near Middlesbrough was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (499 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 499 | 78% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 64 | 10% |
| Court result unavailable | 35 | 5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 30 | 5% |
| Status update unavailable | 5 | 1% |
| Under investigation | 4 | 1% |
What this means if you park near Middlesbrough
53 vehicle offences a month near Middlesbrough means opportunistic thieves are working the area most nights. Numbers have climbed recently, so review how your vehicle is protected before the next August.
For a car kept near Middlesbrough, layering helps: an immobiliser to stop the engine starting, and a certified tracker for recovery if it goes anyway. See installation options.
Middlesbrough car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Middlesbrough?
Police recorded 640 vehicle offences within about a mile of central Middlesbrough in the 12 months to September 2026, an average of 53 a month. That ranks 11 of 84 towns on our list, among the higher end.
When was vehicle crime worst in Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough peaked in August 2026 at 77 recorded offences and bottomed out at 37 in March 2026; 56 were logged in September 2026.
Are car thieves caught in Middlesbrough?
Rarely. 78% of the Middlesbrough cases (499 of 640) ended with no suspect identified, while 65 showed a court or charge outcome. Stopping the theft, or recovering the car fast, is the realistic defence.
Does this cover stolen cars only in Middlesbrough?
Not only. The 640 Middlesbrough offences combine cars stolen outright, items taken from vehicles and tampering, because police.uk publishes them as one vehicle crime category.
Source: police.uk, centred on 54.5742, -1.235, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.