New research led by Northumbria University has highlighted a link between pub closures and a rise in rural crime.

The study, led by the university’s Professor Ignazio Cabras and published in the journal European Planning Studies, suggests that “recent pub closures may have contributed to severing community ties” and this played a role in rising crime in rural areas.

The figures show this impact is lessened in urban areas where there may be a “weaker level of community cohesion and a lack of resources to support formal policing”.

The study used data collected from 375 local authorities around the UK between 2003 and 2018 and looked in particular at the density of pubs at a local level and the differences this made in the rate and type of crimes recorded. It also assessed how this differs between rural and urban areas.

Lead author Cabras hopes the finding will support the creation of improved policing and crime prevention measures.

He said there were three key findings. These were that rural areas experience a much lower incident of crime related to pub numbers compared to more urban areas; there are specific trends when it comes to the kind of crime reported in different areas; and the broad decline in pub numbers across the UK could have a significant impact on policing and public safety.

Cabras said: “Our research work confirms the importance of place-based strategies in tackling social issues such as crime levels based on the presence of pubs. As the association between crime and pubs is multi-faceted, the formation of formal and informal policing (or lack thereof) gravitating around pubs plays a crucial role in whether the presence of pubs acts as a deterrent or an enabler of criminal behaviour.

“Given the paucity of research targeting the effects of pub closures on local communities, our study provides a fresh and timely contribution to the literature. It also provides a venue for new research aimed at better understanding the potential of pubs in terms of generating social capital, strengthening community cohesion, and preventing crime.”

For more information go to www.northumbria.ac.uk