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The Manc - 20th April 2020

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Greater Manchester’s Christmas crime rate named one of the highest in the UK

Emily Sergeant

New research has revealed the UK regions that should expect to see a spike in crime over the festive season this year… and it’s pretty grim reading for Mancs.

That’s because Greater Manchester has been identified as a so-called Christmas crime ‘hotspot’.

For several years running now, our region has unfortunately found itself near the top of the list when it comes to seeing the highest rates of crime over the Christmas holidays, and according to a recent study conducted by ADT, 2025 is unfortunately no different.

With what’s supposed to be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ only a few days away now, home security experts have decided to analyse crime rates from December 2020-2022, and have highlighted the percentage difference in crime during the festive period in a bid to reveal where ‘Christmas crime’ is most prevalent.

Cleveland Police still has the highest reported crime rate, according to the study, with approximately 147.7 recorded crimes per 1,000 population, and more than 5,000 police reports of burglaries in early 2024 – with ONS data revealing 79% of which were residential burglaries.

Greater Manchester’s Christmas crime rate has been named one of the highest in the UK / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Aurelio Arantes (via Unsplash)

West Yorkshire Police also stays in second place, with crimes in the county having risen by 20%, going from a crime rate of 111.61 in December 2021, to 133.8 crimes per 1,000 population by March 2024.

And then, we have Greater Manchester.

Once again, Greater Manchester Police ranks third for the areas with the highest crime rates in England and Wales, with 129.7 crimes per 1,000 population.

ADT’s research this year found that theft offences accounted for almost a third of all crimes committed in our region, while residential burglaries and shoplifting had over 16,000 reported accounts, respectively.

Top 10 Christmas crime ‘hotspots’ in the UK for 2025

Rank	Police force area	Crime rate per 1,000 population
1	Cleveland Police	147.7
2	West Yorkshire Police	133.8
3	Greater Manchester Police	129.7
4	West Midlands Police	125.9
5	Merseyside Police	119.0
6	South Yorkshire Police	116.7
7	Humberside Police	108.1
8	Durham Police	101.8
9	Gwent Police	101.8
10	Metropolitan Police	100.2

Home security expert Michele Bennett, who is ADT UK’s General Manager, has shared some tips on how best to deter uninvited guests from your home during the Christmas period, and says it’s ‘important to remain vigilant’ at this time of year by enhancing your home security.

“This will ensure you and your loved ones have a safe and enjoyable holiday experience,” she explains.

“Several proactive measures can be taken to deter intruders throughout the holidays, including installing visible security measures such as smart alarm systems or burglar alarms, with visible cameras and alarms display signs that indicate your home is highly protected.

“Also, secure your doors, windows, and other potential entry points with strong locks and deadbolts… and indoor and outdoor lighting is a good option to maintain a lived-in appearance by using smart plugs connected to lights, motion-sensing cameras, and video doorbells in and around entrances and other key areas of your home to make it less attractive to burglars.”

“The combination of these measures can drastically improve your home’s security,” Michelle concluded.

“As the appearance of an active and protected home is crucial to deterring potential intruders during Christmas and throughout the year.”

Featured Image – ADT

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Five of the best things to watch on TV this Christmas 2025

Emily Sergeant

Christmas – it’s a hectic time, right? We all know that.

For some of us, if the run-up to Christmas wasn’t already busy enough as it is, there’s often not a moment to breathe on the big day itself between presents being opened, travelling to see people, entertaining guests, slaving over a hot stove for hours, and eating plenty of food.

Sometimes though, you may find yourself twiddling your thumbs with some time to spare, and that’s why the distraction of festive television is so brilliant.

For others, sitting around to watch the TV is an important part of Christmas itself.

No matter what your situation is, there’s some cracking things to watch on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year – with classic seasonal films, to festive specials of our favourite shows, and a few family-friendly additions all on the agenda.

So, just like we have done for the past couple of years, we’ve once again rounded-up the best of the bunch to create our TV guide.

Here’s just five of our picks.

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Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing 2025

BBC Two

Christmas Eve – 9pm

Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing 2025 / Credit: BBC

Bob and Paul (and terrier Ted too, of course) are back for another Gone Fishing Christmas Special, and this year, they’re heading down to Devon and Cornwall for their festive treat.

The duo fish the stunning rivers Lyd and Camel in Devon, and even head out to sea in Cornwall on a traditional fishing boat.

There’s also appearances by other famous faces Dawn French and Dr Anand Patel, and they’re even welcomed into No6, Paul Ainsworth’s celebrated restaurant in the heart of Padstow, for some Michelin-starred fine festive dining.

You can watch Gone Christmas Fishing 2025 on BBC Two at 9pm on Christmas Eve.

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Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2025

BBC One

Christmas Day – 5:30pm

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2025 / Credit: BBC

We’ve all come to expect a Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special at this point, haven’t we? After the iconic ballroom dance competition programme has been bringing us smaller, festive editions of the show we all know and love since 2004, it’s back once again this Christmas Day.

Six celebrity contestants will be taking to the floor to impress the judges and battle it out for the Christmas glitter ball trophy.

Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt, singer and cook Melanie Blatt, and Irish singer-songwriter Brian McFaddan are just some of the big names competing this year.

You can catch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One at 3:55pm on Christmas Day.

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The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off

Channel 4

Christmas Day – 8pm

For the first time since Peep Show wrapped in 2015, fan favourites David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Isy Suttie, Matt King, and Sophie Winkleman are reuniting on screen.

And this time, they’re donning festive jumpers and rolling up their sleeves to tackle a series of seasonal baking challenges.

Under the watchful eyes of judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, and with plenty of mischief and charm from Bake Off hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, you can expect laughter and chaos in this Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off special.

Watch The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off on Channel 4 at 8pm on Christmas Day.

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Amandaland Christmas Special

BBC One

Christmas Day – 9:15pm

Amandaland Christmas Special / Credit: Natalie Seery (BBC/Merman)

Massively-popular BBC sitcom Amandaland is back for a festive special on Christmas Day.

You’ll get to see title character Amanda and her family head to Aunt Joan’s country house, but the plans change when Mal and Anne tag along and she struggles to recreate the magical Christmases she spent there as a child.

Anne’s in despair at being separated from her family, and Felicity is increasingly irritated by her sister’s constant high spirits. Meanwhile, Mal sees a hidden photo that seems to reveal a deep family secret.

You can catch the Amandaland Christmas Special on BBC One at 9:15pm on Christmas Day.

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Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2025

Channel 4

Boxing Day – 9pm

What’s Christmas without a quiz? It’s time to remember everything you’ve already forgotten from this past year, as the Jimmy Carr is back with the annual Big Fat Quiz of the Year for 2025, and a handful of famous faces will be put to the test.

This year, Jonathan Ross, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Ryan, Nick Mohammed, Roisin Conaty, and Lou Sanders all answer questions about Katy Perry, Lily Allen, and THAT Coldplay concert.

You can watch Big Fat Quiz of the Year on Channel 4 at 9pm on Boxing Day.

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Fancy a festive film?

As an added bonus, we thought we’d just round up all the Christmas films that are being shown on telly in the coming days, as there’s nothing like sitting down to watch a festive flick to get you into the spirit of the season.

Nativity! – Monday 22 December at 2:20pm on BBC One
Bridget Jones’s Diary – Monday 22 December at 10:10pm on BBC Three
Home Alone – Christmas Eve at 5:35pm on Channel 4
Love Actually – Christmas Eve at 9:10pm on ITV
When Harry Met Sally – Christmas Day at 11:35pm on BBC One

There’s also just plenty of great films on in general, ones that aren’t strictly Christmas films or set during the festive season like the ones mentioned in that list.

Here they are:

Mrs Doubtfire – Monday 22 December at 6:35pm on ITV2
Oppenheimer – Tuesday 23 December at 11pm on BBC Three
E.T – Christmas Eve at 1:35pm on ITV
Sister Act – Christmas Eve at 1:35pm on Channel 4
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Christmas Eve at 2:55pm on BBC One
Paddington – Christmas Eve at 5:30pm on BBC One
The Devil Wears Prada – Christmas Day at 6:50pm on Film4
Jaws – Christmas Day at 9:15pm on BBC Two
Edward Scissorhands – Boxing Day at 6:55pm on ITV2
Four Weddings and a Funeral – Boxing Day at 10:15pm on BBC One
Elvis – Saturday 27 December at 7:45pm on BBC One
2001: A Space Odyssey – Sunday 28 December at 6:15pm on ITV4
The Godfather – Sunday 28 December at 10pm on BBC Two
Challengers – Sunday 28 December at 10pm on BBC Three
School of Rock – Monday 29 December at 6:45pm on ITV2
Pretty Woman – New Year’s Eve at 9pm on ITV1
The Sound of Music – New Year’s Day at 3:15pm on BBC One
Back To The Future (the whole trilogy) – New Year’s Day from 7:10pm on BBC Three