Car theft and vehicle crime in Preston
Between October 2025 and September 2026, Lancashire Constabulary logged 359 vehicle offences inside a one-mile radius of Preston. The most recent quarter brought 82 offences, 22% fewer than the 105 in the quarter before it.
Preston month by month
April 2026 stands out at 46 recorded offences, while November 2025 dropped to 22. The second half ran 9% above the first. Average: 29.9 a month.
| Month | Offences | vs 12-month average |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24 | -6 |
| Nov 2025 | 22 | -8 |
| Dec 2025 | 28 | -2 |
| Jan 2026 | 24 | -6 |
| Feb 2026 | 29 | -1 |
| Mar 2026 | 45 | +15 |
| Apr 2026 | 46 | +16 |
| May 2026 | 32 | +2 |
| Jun 2026 | 27 | -3 |
| Jul 2026 | 36 | +6 |
| Aug 2026 | 23 | -7 |
| Sep 2026 | 23 | -7 |
How Preston compares
Out of the 84 areas we track, Preston ranks 31 for monthly vehicle crime at 30 a month, close to the typical town in our set. Cardiff averaged 116.
Over the latest three months the one-mile circle around Preston averaged 27 vehicle offences a month. Central Preston is busier than 86% of the postcodes in our Great Britain sample. The comparison uses 400 randomly chosen British postcodes, each measured over Jul 2026, Aug 2026, Sep 2026 exactly as Preston is here. Test your own street with the free theft risk checker.
Within the Lancashire Constabulary area, Preston ranks 2 of the 3 centres we track at 30 offences a month. The others: Blackpool (30), Blackburn (22).
Towns nearest to Preston
- Blackburn (9 miles away): 22 a month, 28% fewer than Preston
- Blackpool (14 miles away): 30 a month, about the same than Preston
- Warrington (26 miles away): 11 a month, 62% fewer than Preston
Where in Preston offences were recorded
Just five locations make up 11% of the 359 offences recorded around Preston.
- On or near Parking Area: 16
- On or near Norris Street: 6
- On or near Shopping Area: 6
- On or near Cornthwaite Road: 5
- On or near Holman Street: 5
What happened to Preston cases
The most common recorded outcome near Preston was "investigation complete; no suspect identified" (286 cases).
| Outcome | Offences | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 286 | 80% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 26 | 7% |
| Under investigation | 17 | 5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 9 | 3% |
| Status update unavailable | 8 | 2% |
| Court result unavailable | 6 | 2% |
What this means if you park near Preston
Preston sees around 30 vehicle offences a month: low by city standards, yet thieves target the most valuable cars first. Expect pressure to build again around April, the worst month in this data.
Most owners near Preston start with an immobiliser for prevention, then add monitored tracking if the insurer asks for it. See installation options.
Preston car theft questions
How much car crime is there in Preston?
In the year to September 2026, 359 vehicle crimes were logged inside a mile of central Preston: about 30 every month, placing it 31 of the 84 towns we track (in the middle end).
When was vehicle crime worst in Preston?
The worst month was April 2026 (46). The quietest was November 2025 (22), and September 2026 came in at 23.
Are car thieves caught in Preston?
Police.uk shows 286 of 359 Preston cases (80%) closed without a suspect and 18 with a court-stage outcome, so an owner is far better served by an immobiliser and tracker than by the odds of a conviction.
Does this cover stolen cars only in Preston?
Not only. The 359 Preston 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 53.7632, -2.7031, retrieved 2026-11-06. Method and limits.