A seaside resort has been identified as the most offence-ridden area in the South East according to fresh research.
Hastings topped the rankings for combined criminal activity across the region, according to a study by property intelligence platform Crystal Roof.
The research, using police-recorded crime statistics spanning the year ending June 2026, showed the town logged 12,544 incidents, working out at 127 offences per 1,000 residents in what the company terms the at-risk population.
This positioned Hastings first among the South East’s 64 local authority districts.
The analysis additionally discovered Hastings placed third regionally for serious criminal offences, with 5,193 incidents documented, representing 52.8 per 1,000 people.
Crystal Roof’s methodology factored in violent and sexual crimes, robbery, housebreaking, weapons possession and motor vehicle offences.
Throughout the South East, Eastbourne came second for overall criminal activity at 122 per 1,000 people, with Southampton third at 115. Brighton and Hove followed in fourth spot at 112.
When comparing against the rest of the country outside London, the research showed Hastings placed seventh for total offences and 27th for serious criminal activity.
Crystal Roof reported that violent and sexual offences constituted the largest crime type in Hastings, accounting for 40.2 per 1,000 residents.
Disorderly conduct came second at 23.7 per 1,000, while retail theft registered at 17.8 per 1,000.
The company noted shoplifting, disorderly conduct, public order violations and property damage alongside arson as categories where Hastings performs notably poorly across the country.
Within the Hastings and St Leonards area, crime levels differed considerably between different parts.
The study discovered Castle ward reported the highest crime rate at 242 per 1,000 people, with Gensing at 156 and Central St Leonards at 151 following closely behind.
St Helens emerged as the most secure ward, recording just 39.5 offences per 1,000 residents.
Despite these findings, Crystal Roof noted Hastings’ crime rate remains below figures from earlier years.
The data indicated offences in the town reached their highest point at 161 per 1,000 people in 2011, compared with 127 during the most recent year examined.
The research draws upon police-recorded crime figures released via data.police.uk and utilises an at-risk population calculation that combines residential populations with commuter and workplace populations.