Skip to main content

Crime: Alcohol and Drugs

Volume 686: debated on Wednesday 8 November 2006

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many people in each police authority area were convicted of alcohol and drug offences in 1980; 1985; 1990; 1995; 2000; and 2005; and what are these figures as a percentage of the population in each police authority area.[HL7900]

Available information on drug convictions relate to persons found guilty at court and are given in the first tables. Population data for 1980 and 1985 are not available centrally.

Data on convictions for alcohol offences broken down by police force area are available from 1985 onwards. The available information is given in the second tables.

Data for 2004 has been provided instead of 2005; 2005 data will be available in late November.

Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for alcohol offences (1) and the percentage of the population, by police force area, England and Wales, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2004(2)(3)

1985

1990

1995

Force

Defendants found guilty

Defendants found guilty

Mid-year population figures

Percentage of population convicted

Defendants found guilty

Mid-year population figures

Percentage of population convicted

Avon and Somerset

899

490

1,413,740

0.03%

232

1,463,384

0.02%

Bedfordshire

421

160

531,168

0.03%

111

545,660

0.02%

Cambridgeshire

396

43

655,047

0.01%

94

693,871

0.01%

Cheshire

679

590

958,562

0.06%

451

978,089

0.05%

Cleveland

993

689

552,836

0.12%

299

559,160

0.05%

Cumbria

755

671

491,627

0.14%

436

490,279

0.09%

Derbyshire

733

234

929,401

0.03%

171

957,856

0.02%

Devon and Cornwall

1,011

725

1,493,970

0.05%

566

1,541,467

0.04%

Dorset

313

367

656,827

0.06%

226

678,668

0.03%

Durham

799

381

596,928

0.06%

209

607,670

0.03%

Essex

495

202

1,464,129

0.01%

167

1,505,725

0.01%

Gloucestershire

239

77

529,494

0.01%

113

552,731

0.02%

Greater Manchester

3,855

2,776

2,582,384

0.11%

1,351

2,578,300

0.05%

Hampshire

2,036

981

1,676,412

0.06%

927

1,741,785

0.05%

Hertfordshire

591

256

840,560

0.03%

137

858,496

0.02%

Humberside

682

319

856,250

0.04%

150

889,191

0.02%

Kent

737

406

1,523,673

0.03%

428

1,551,261

0.03%

Lancashire

2,491

1,446

1,390,794

0.10%

924

1,426,037

0.06%

Leicestershire

117

53

891,926

0.01%

33

923,001

0.00%

Lincolnshire

314

167

586,855

0.03%

25

611,846

0.00%

Merseyside

3,917

3,696

1,447,983

0.26%

1,667

1,427,195

0.12%

Greater London(5)

4,150

6,318

7,227,344

0.09%

1208

7,495,527

0.02%

Norfolk

218

95

748,501

0.01%

175

772,365

0.02%

North Yorkshire

240

61

576,059

0.01%

281

599,284

0.05%

Northamptonshire

3,874

3,485

1,431,721

0.24%

36

1,438,311

0.00%

Northumbria

250

418

722,305

0.06%

1,580

730,636

0.22%

Nottinghamshire

637

511

1,014,822

0.05%

346

1,031,939

0.03%

South Yorkshire

2,932

2,600

1,295,191

0.20%

874

1,303,857

0.07%

Staffordshire(4)

719

865

1,038,990

0.08%

339

1,056,448

0.03%

Suffolk

283

169

641,029

0.03%

191

656,809

0.03%

Surrey

218

144

743,803

0.02%

101

775,226

0.01%

Sussex

925

457

1,416,690

0.03%

560

1,462,346

0.04%

Thames Valley

1,516

1,161

1,960,401

0.06%

887

2,047,463

0.04%

Warwickshire

336

68

483,060

0.01%

119

498,662

0.02%

West Mercia

762

561

1,078,501

0.05%

409

1,114,158

0.04%

West Midlands

3,953

1,882

2,615,409

0.07%

584

2,637,154

0.02%

West Yorkshire

3,580

2,467

2,066,609

0.12%

1,080

2,105,772

0.05%

Wiltshire

256

275

558,395

0.05%

258

590,610

0.04%

Dyfed-Powys

622

342

469,378

0.07%

196

473,988

0.04%

Gwent

1,429

987

446,843

0.22%

685

452,564

0.15%

North Wales

512

754

651,846

0.12%

724

658,668

0.11%

South Wales

2,103

1,651

1,305,014

0.13%

1,154

1,331,562

0.09%

England and Wales

51,988

40,000

50,562,477

0.08%

20,504

51,815,021

0.04%

20002004

Force

Defendants found guilty

Mid-year population figures

Percentage of population convicted

Defendants found guilty

Mid-year population figures

Percentage of population convicted

Avon and Somerset

394

1,511,778

0.03%

433

1,519,119

0.03%

Bedfordshire

218

565,748

0.04%

135

576,218

0.02%

Cambridgeshire

186

730,183

0.03%

205

737,890

0.03%

Cheshire

561

984,311

0.06%

485

992,642

0.05%

Cleveland

531

556,693

0.10%

499

553,311

0.09%

Cumbria

472

491,040

0.10%

450

494,782

0.09%

Derbyshire

309

977,779

0.03%

358

979,226

0.04%

Devon and Cornwall

856

1,586,655

0.05%

541

1,619,062

0.03%

Dorset

380

698,330

0.05%

158

700,419

0.02%

Durham

463

606,683

0.08%

359

595,388

0.06%

Essex

600

1,628,962

0.04%

213

1,635,605

0.01%

Gloucestershire

187

564,841

0.03%

144

572,791

0.03%

Greater Manchester

1,082

2,585,750

0.04%

606

2,539,043

0.02%

Hampshire

1,253

1,785,986

0.07%

620

1,801,442

0.03%

Hertfordshire

380

1,050,828

0.04%

345

1,041,319

0.03%

Humberside

215

880,985

0.02%

134

887,521

0.02%

Kent

917

1,598,032

0.06%

1,078

1,610,310

0.07%

Lancashire

1,937

1,429,450

0.14%

736

1,434,871

0.05%

Leicestershire

31

938,693

0.00%

24

945,480

0.00%

Lincolnshire

416

634,348

0.07%

418

673,531

0.06%

Merseyside

1,609

1,403,381

0.11%

1,184

1,365,832

0.09%

Greater London(5)

1294

7,375,065

0.02%

1390

7,429,222

0.02%

Norfolk

200

803,970

0.02%

136

816,525

0.02%

North Yorkshire

535

625,895

0.09%

244

764,866

0.03%

Northamptonshire

33

1,413,970

0.00%

28

646,731

0.00%

Northumbria

3,473

753,946

0.46%

3,741

1,396,374

0.27%

Nottinghamshire

396

1,031,210

0.04%

227

1,034,739

0.02%

South Yorkshire

1,001

1,301,532

0.08%

878

1,278,434

0.07%

Staffordshire(4)

306

1,059,711

0.03%

234

1,050,609

0.02%

Suffolk

276

679,915

0.04%

381

683,736

0.06%

Surrey

423

1,080,647

0.04%

355

1,067,186

0.03%

Sussex

494

1,522,401

0.03%

469

1,510,445

0.03%

Thames Valley

934

2,127,782

0.04%

737

2,120,859

0.03%

Warwickshire

198

509,959

0.04%

135

525,481

0.03%

West Mercia

428

1,146,670

0.04%

389

1,178,763

0.03%

West Midlands

407

2,619,021

0.02%

600

2,579,153

0.02%

West Yorkshire

1,267

2,121,452

0.06%

594

2,108,028

0.03%

Wiltshire

320

613,487

0.05%

329

626,809

0.05%

Dyfed-Powys

264

482,827

0.05%

287

503,663

0.06%

Gwent

343

557,368

0.06%

248

556,641

0.04%

North Wales

699

660,263

0.11%

400

674,498

0.06%

South Wales

1,256

1,245,737

0.10%

1,052

1,217,660

0.09%

England and Wales

27,544

52,943,284

0.10%

21,979

53,046,224

0.04%

(1) Includes offences of drunkenness, drunkenness with aggravation and offences related to alcohol licensing etc

(2) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.

(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

(4) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to supply a sample of data for magistrates' courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Estimates based on this sample are included in the figures, as they are considered sufficiently robust at this high level of analysis.

(5) Includes city of London and Metropolitan Police

Source: RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Persons found guilty for drug offences(1) and percentage of the population convicted, by police force area, England and Wales, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2004.

1980

1985

1990

1995

Force

Defendants found guilty

Defendants found guilty

Defendants found guilty

Mid-year population figures

Percentage of population convicted

Defendants found guilty

Mid-year population figures

Percentage of population convicted

Avon and Somerset

383

358

164

1,413,740

0.01%

890

1,463,384

0.06%

Bedfordshire

76

110

137

531,168

0.03%

370

545,660

0.07%

Cambridgeshire

293

151

234

655,047

0.04%

336

693,871

0.05%

Cheshire

170

223

324

958,562

0.03%

997

978,089

0.10%

Cleveland

115

98

93

552,836

0.02%

249

559,160

0.04%

Cumbria

174

335

326

491,627

0.07%

559

490,279

0.11%

Derbyshire

101

167

219

929,401

0.02%

571

957,856

0.06%

Devon and Cornwall

414

696

689

1,493,970

0.05%

1,003

1,541,467

0.07%

Dorset

151

197

165

656,827

0.03%

480

678,668

0.07%

Durham

59

62

61

596,928

0.01%

395

607,670

0.07%

Essex

240

344

400

1,464,129

0.03%

786

1,505,725

0.05%

Gloucestershire

199

194

154

529,494

0.03%

342

552,731

0.06%

Greater Manchester

519

1,019

1,356

2,582,384

0.05%

2,375

2,578,300

0.09%

Hampshire

317

315

214

1,676,412

0.01%

1,232

1,741,785

0.07%

Hertfordshire

193

313

336

840,560

0.04%

532

858,496

0.06%

Humberside

145

260

264

856,250

0.03%

595

889,191

0.07%

Kent

234

308

96

1,523,673

0.01%

828

1,551,261

0.05%

Lancashire

357

425

585

1,390,794

0.04%

1,199

1,426,037

0.08%

Leicestershire

249

211

192

891,926

0.02%

393

923,001

0.04%

Lincolnshire

72

51

186

586,855

0.03%

406

611,846

0.07%

Merseyside

267

1,059

1,399

1,447,983

0.10%

1,753

1,427,195

0.12%

City of London & Met Police

5,587

6,678

6,329

7,227,344

0.09%

7,784

7,490,326

0.10%

Norfolk

260

176

391

748,501

0.05%

597

772,365

0.08%

Northamptonshire

115

77

105

576,059

0.02%

267

599,284

0.04%

Northumbria

120

221

289

1,431,721

0.02%

756

1,438,311

0.05%

North Yorkshire

76

162

109

722,305

0.02%

484

730,636

0.07%

Nottinghamshire

146

147

145

1,014,822

0.01%

749

1,031,939

0.07%

South Yorkshire

145

298

351

1,295,191

0.03%

1,010

1,303,857

0.08%

Staffordshire

83

220

235

1,038,990

0.02%

661

1,056,448

0.06%

Suffolk

222

157

244

641,029

0.04%

410

656,809

0.06%

Surrey

270

406

361

743,803

0.05%

425

775,226

0.05%

Sussex

497

458

860

1,416,690

0.06%

839

1,462,346

0.06%

Thames Valley

472

608

911

1,960,401

0.05%

1,357

2,047,463

0.07%

Warwickshire

78

86

171

483,060

0.04%

185

498,662

0.04%

West Mercia

262

156

376

1,078,501

0.03%

596

1,114,158

0.05%

West Midlands

280

663

1,148

2,615,409

0.04%

1,255

2,637,154

0.05%

West Yorkshire

341

395

942

2,066,609

0.05%

2,228

2,105,772

0.11%

Wiltshire

120

147

102

558,395

0.02%

205

590,610

0.03%

Dyfed-Powys

199

212

186

469,378

0.04%

509

473,988

0.11%

Gwent

122

134

144

446,843

0.03%

284

452,564

0.06%

North Wales

195

276

375

651,846

0.06%

1043

658,668

0.16%

South Wales

278

597

578

1,305,014

0.04%

924

1,331,562

0.07%

20002004

Force

Defendants found guilty

Mid-year population figures

Percentage of population convicted

Defendants found guilty

Mid-year population figures

Percentage of population convicted

Avon and Somerset

1,040

1,511,778

0.07%

805

1,519,119

0.05%

Bedfordshire

500

565,748

0.09%

226

576,218

0.04%

Cambridgeshire

410

730,183

0.06%

380

737,890

0.05%

Cheshire

1,053

984,311

0.11%

644

992,642

0.06%

Cleveland

681

556,693

0.12%

780

553,311

0.14%

Cumbria

460

491,040

0.09%

538

494,782

0.11%

Derbyshire

734

977,779

0.08%

732

979,226

0.07%

Devon and Cornwall

1,350

1,586,655

0.09%

1,389

1,619,062

0.09%

Dorset

775

698,330

0.11%

736

700,419

0.11%

Durham

564

606,683

0.09%

476

595,388

0.08%

Essex

1,229

1,628,962

0.08%

945

1,635,605

0.06%

Gloucestershire

513

564,841

0.09%

398

572,791

0.07%

Greater Manchester

2,629

2,585,750

0.10%

2,631

2,539,043

0.10%

Hampshire

1,710

1,785,986

0.10%

1,333

1,801,442

0.07%

Hertfordshire

561

1,050,828

0.05%

690

1,041,319

0.07%

Humberside

748

880,985

0.08%

904

887,521

0.10%

Kent

1,626

1,598,032

0.10%

1,049

1,610,310

0.07%

Lancashire

1,728

1,429,450

0.12%

1,331

1,434,871

0.09%

Leicestershire

756

938,693

0.08%

892

945,480

0.09%

Lincolnshire

382

634,348

0.06%

470

673,531

0.07%

Merseyside

2,216

1,403,381

0.16%

1,939

1,365,832

0.14%

City of London & Met Police

10,358

7,375,065

0.14%

9,338

7,429,222

0.13%

Norfolk

690

803,970

0.09%

9,338

816,525

1.14%

Northamptonshire

446

625,895

0.07%

243

764,866

0.03%

Northumbria

2031

1,413,970

0.14%

1,943

646,731

0.30%

North Yorkshire

527

753,946

0.07%

368

1,396,374

0.03%

Nottinghamshire

1291

1,031,210

0.13%

1,245

1,034,739

0.12%

South Yorkshire

1945

1,301,532

0.15%

1,260

1,278,434

0.10%

Staffordshire

809

1,059,711

0.08%

857

1,050,609

0.08%

Suffolk

560

679,915

0.08%

614

683,736

0.09%

Surrey

677

1,080,647

0.06%

445

1,067,186

0.04%

Sussex

750

1,522,401

0.05%

1,068

1,510,445

0.07%

Thames Valley

1,527

2,127,782

0.07%

1,284

2,120,859

0.06%

Warwickshire

293

509,959

0.06%

207

525,481

0.04%

West Mercia

861

1,146,670

0.08%

677

1,178,763

0.06%

West Midlands

3,523

2,619,021

0.13%

3,359

2,579,153

0.13%

West Yorkshire

3,203

2,121,452

0.15%

2,200

2,108,028

0.10%

Wiltshire

588

613,487

0.10%

454

626,809

0.07%

Dyfed-Powys

887

482,827

0.18%

582

503,663

0.12%

Gwent

895

557,368

0.16%

574

556,641

0.10%

North Wales

679

660,263

0.10%

605

674,498

0.09%

South Wales

1,782

1,245,737

0.14%

2,086

1217660

0.17%

1. Offenders dealt with following joint operations involving HM Customs and Revenue and the police are generally recorded against HM Customs.