This is the most dangerous place in Yorkshire for serious crime
Police officers on patrol (Image: Ed Nix)
The most dangerous place in Yorkshire for serious crime has been revealed and it is not in North Yorkshire.
Analysis by property data platform Crystal Roof, using figures derived from data.police.uk, reveals the city has the highest rate of serious crime in the region.
Bradford ranks fourth for overall crime behind North East Lincolnshire, Doncaster and Hull.
In the 12 months leading up to June 2026, Bradford recorded 73,024 crimes - equivalent to 121 offences per 1,000 people - compared to the regional average of 107.
Of these, 40,597 were classified as high-harm offences, which include violence and sexual offences, robbery, burglary, possession of weapons, and vehicle crime.
This equates to 67 high-harm crimes per 1,000 people, well above the regional average of 53.8.
Crystal Roof defines high-harm crime as offences with the most serious impact on victims, excluding high-volume but lower-impact categories like anti-social behaviour and shoplifting.
The district’s crime rate peaked at 145 per 1,000 in 2018 but has since declined, falling to 124 in 2025 and 121 in the most recent 12 months.
Where is considered safest and least safe?
Bradford’s least safe ward records around six times the crime rate of its safest, with the City ward topping the list at 181 crimes per 1,000 people.
Eccleshill follows at 136, andTong at 134.
The safest wards are Wharfedale (31.1), Ilkley (40.3), and Craven (44.8).
'Deeply concerning', says local MP
Imran Hussain, Labour MP for Bradford East, said: "These figures are deeply concerning.
"Tackling crime must be a priority because everyone has the right to feel safe in their home, on their streets and in their community.
"While it is welcome that Bradford’s overall crime rate has been falling, we cannot ignore the fact that serious, high-harm crime remains far too high.
"We need the police to have the resources they need to tackle serious crime, prevent offending and keep our communities safe."
'Let us be honest about how we got here'
Holme Wood and Bierley Green Party Cllr Matt Edwards said: "These figures will not surprise anyone living in the south of Bradford.
"I hear daily from residents who are worried about crime and who feel that things have been allowed to slide for years.
Bradford.
(Image: Newsquest)
"Let us be honest about how we got here.
"Fifteen years of brutal cuts, started under the Conservative government, stripped away not just police officers but the very services that stop crime happening in the first place.
"Youth services were decimated. Mental health support was hollowed out.
"The safety net that kept young people away from organised crime was cut to shreds.
"If we want fewer crimes, we need to stop crime before it starts.
He added: "From organised criminals using social media to recruit young people, to the off-road electric bikes tearing through our estates, the law has simply not kept up, and communities like ours are left dealing with the consequences.
"These figures should be a wake-up call.
"We cannot keep doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome."
Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, welcomed the overall decline but warned that serious offences remain a concern.
Ms Shah said: "These figures show two things clearly.
"Overall crime in Bradford is moving in the right direction, and I want to thank West Yorkshire Police and everyone working across our communities for helping to bring crime down.
"But serious and high-harm crime remains unacceptably high.
"People have a right to feel safe in their homes, on our streets and in their neighbourhoods.
"I support tougher sentences for the most serious offenders, particularly violent offenders, and as a local MP I will continue to press for every measure needed to bring violent crime down.
"Enforcement must also go hand in hand with prevention.
"That means giving our police the resources they need, tackling repeat offending, and investing in early intervention and youth provision to prevent young people being drawn into violence and criminality."
'Urgent action is needed'
Robbie Moore, Conservative MP for Keighley and Ilkley, called for urgent action.
Mr Moore said: "It is seriously alarming that new research has revealed Bradford ranks highest across Yorkshire and the Humber for serious crime, and fourth for overall crime.
"These figures lay bare the deeply entrenched challenges facing the Bradford district and must serve as a stark wake-up call to the Government: urgent action is needed to restore law and order to our streets and rebuild public safety and confidence in our communities."
West Yorkshire Police has been approached for a comment.