Anti-social behaviour can include vandalism, verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, fighting, intimidation and harassment
Anti-social behaviour can include vandalism, verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, fighting, intimidation and harassment
The neighbourhoods in Merseyside suffering most from anti-social behaviour are laid bare in a new map revealing the areas blighted by graffiti, noise nuisance, and intimidating gangs. Hyper-local police figures show that busy town and city centres suffer by far the highest levels of anti-social behaviour (ASB) which can include vandalism, verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, fighting, intimidation and harassment.
Liverpool Central and Islington had 753 reported instances 45.5 of ASB in 2024 – a rate of 38.6 per 1000 people – making it the area of Merseyside with the most cases. It’s followed by Garston with 345 offences, making it the part of Merseyside with the highest rate of anti-social behaviour per 1000 people: 52.9.
On the Wirral, Birkenhead Central is the area which suffers from the most anti-social behaviour, with 303 cases in 2024 and 37.4 per 1000 people. It’s followed by Woodchurch and New Brighton which both each had 173 ASB offences last year, 25.2 and 22.9 per 1000 people, respectively.
The area of Sefton with the highest amount of ASB is Southport Waterfront, with 227 cases and 23.9 per 1000 people. In second place is Bootle South, with 176 reported instances of anti-social behaviour – 22.2 per 1000.
In Knowsley, Prescot is the area with the most cases, 230, and has a rate of 23.3 per 1000 people. St Helens’ worst area for ASB is Town Centre East and Fingerpost, with 305 offences and 38.4 per 1000 people.
The area of Merseyside with the lowest amount of anti-social behaviour offences in 2024 was West Allerton with nine. That’s 1.3 per 1000 people.
Elsewhere in the country, last year police received 2,517 reports of ASB in Newcastle City Centre, more than anywhere else in Britain.That was followed by Strand, St James and Mayfair in Westminster – which includes Buckingham Palace, home to King Charles III – with 2,300 reports of ASB, and then Central Blackpool (1,767).
While the royal family are likely shielded from ASB, their neighbours living in Strand, St James & Mayfair suffer most. For every 1,000 people living near Buckingham Palace, there were 332 reports of ASB. That’s the equivalent of one in every three people suffering from some form of anti-social behaviour.
Using our interactive map below, you can see how your area compares.