A POP-UP policing point has returned to Swindon town centre for a second year.

Called a community policing shop by the Wiltshire force, it will occupy a previously empty unit on the ground floor of the Brunel Centre.

Insp David Tippetts said the watchword of the pop-up was community engagement, with officers on-hand to speak to shoppers about concerns they have – with specialist cyber detectives and staff from the Bobby Van Trust able to offer more practical advice about keeping safe online and in the home.

“This is different. It’s not like a traditional police station," he said. "It’s not about people coming to report crime or hand-in lost property. It’s about engaging with people and talking to the local community.”

Likely to be popular, officers and animals from Wiltshire Police’s dog unit are expected to visit the shop on August 5 and August 10. A date for a visit from officers in the force’s drone unit is yet to be confirmed.

The latest shop follows a trial run in November last year, when police spoke to more than a thousand shoppers in the weeks leading up to Christmas. PC Paul Bezzant, Wiltshire Police's town centre coordinator and the man responsible for developing the pop-up shop concept, said tip-offs from shoppers had fed into a number of investigations - including a probe into cannabis misuse.

The pop-up community shop is open 10am to 2pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday until August 10.