A town centre car park has suddenly closed.

The entrance to the Sheppard Street site near the train station has been covered in cones and red-and-white tape, while new signs around it warn drivers away.

The dozens of spaces on the outdoor tarmac are empty, except for one which is occupied by a Land Rover Discovery with a penalty charge notice stuck to a front window.

One sign in front of the APCOA Connect-managed site announces that major Network Rail improvement work being carried out over the next six weeks from Monday, February 12, will halve the amount of available spaces for motorists.

This Is Wiltshire: The car park on Sheppard Street in Swindon has closed for six weeks.The car park on Sheppard Street in Swindon has closed for six weeks. (Image: Newsquest)

But more signs positioned right next to that state that the car park is completely closed and that it must be empty before 11.59pm on Thursday, February 8.

It seems that all but one vehicle complied with this order. No waiting, loading, or parking is currently permitted.

The car park used to be for Zurich staff on weekdays and was only available to the wider public for a few hours on weekends.

After Zurich moved to new premises near Fleming Way, APCOA took over the site, changed the payments to app-only, and opened the spaces to everyone 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

It should reopen after the improvement work is completed.