A Protecht analysis of over 36,000 corporate fines from 2020 to 2024 highlights UK cities with the highest and lowest rates of business violations, adjusted for local business populations.
Lincoln stands out in the top ten for fines per 1,000 businesses, with 4.81 offences despite a relatively low total of 14 fines over five years. The city also recorded the second highest average fine at £242,000 per offence, costing local businesses £3.4 million in total. Other cities in the top ten for offence rates include Belfast, Nottingham, Southampton, Glasgow, Preston, Oxford, Newport, Manchester, and Newcastle upon Tyne.
At the other end, Winchester had the lowest rate at 0.35 fines per 1,000 businesses, followed by Chichester, Wrexham, Salford, St Albans, Stirling, Brighton and Hove, Southend-on-Sea, Sunderland, and Lichfield.
Lincoln’s ranking illustrates how smaller business populations can result in a high per-business penalty rate. The figures highlight the financial exposure local companies face and the importance of embedding compliance and risk management into daily operations.
