We are concluding our live coverage on Swindon town centre.

You can watch more on Points West or hear more on BBC Radio Wiltshire.

Our latest story you can read is here.

Community warden Bradley Ellis said he expects many people will not want to comply.

"But if they don't they can be taken to court," he says

He says his team's interactions will be filmed on body-worn cameras, so people can be identified if they refuse to cooperate and leave the area.

"It's very satisfying knowing that you've done something in the town where you grew up and you can actually see a difference", Mr Ellis adds.

Fines will also be handed out to people using e-scooters, which are illegal to use on public roads and footpaths.

Currently, only e-scooters which form part of government-backed trials can be used legally in the UK.

There is no such trial in Wiltshire.

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has promised officers will spend a month stopping people using e-scooters.

Police and community teams will focus on known hotspots, like Swindon town centre, and will educate any offenders on the law.

They will then move to an "enforcement phase" at the beginning of August, with officers able to confiscate and destroy e-scooters and, where appropriate, e-bikes.

"E-scooters are illegal in Wiltshire, and we will make sure people know that", Mr Wilkinson says.

Ben Marvell
BBC News in Swindon town centre

It’s a busy afternoon at the Wyvern Theatre, with a steady stream of cars entering and leaving the car park.

Many will be parking and then making the short journey to Regent Street for a spot of afternoon shopping.

But how long with this last?

The post-war theatre has reached the end of its life and discussions are ongoing as to the site of its replacement.

Conservatives on Swindon Borough Council have called for the unused cinema in Regent’s Circus to be refurbished for the purpose, but council leader Jim Robbins prefers the site of the soon-to-be-demolished bus station.

Mr Shakles, who we spoke to earlier at his shop Sewcraft Swindon, says the "main issues" are "the type of people who frequent the town centre like the alcoholics, the drug users, the shop lifters".

He tells our reporter that the situation in the town had gone downhill since the Business Improvement District (BID) covering the area had been dissolved.

Parking, he adds, is also a "major problem", telling the BBC: "The parking in the Old Town is 90p an hour, in town it's about £1.60, £1.70 an hour.

"You could understand that if we still had the vibrancy of the town centre but we haven't now, so there's no reason you should be penalised by having more expensive parking."

Ben Marvell
BBC News in Swindon town centre

The Brunel Centre has been at the heart of shopping in Swindon town centre since the 1970s.

But sadly, like many post-war shopping centres, the centre has struggled with reduced footfall and many of the shop units are now empty.

Not including myself, I’ve seen four people come up the escalator in the last five minutes - a stark contrast to the bustling Outlet Village 20 minutes walk away.

We've talked a lot about how the town centre used to be, and how it is now. But what about the future?

Swindon Borough Council has spearheaded a new project intended to regenerate and reinvigorate the town.

The Heart of Swindon vision includes 8,000 homes, venues and a student village and was pitched to potential investors at House of Lords in March.

Over the next decade, Panattoni is also investing £918m in Swindon to build new logistics, industrial and data centres on the site of the former Honda factory.

Panattoni Park is expected to create up to 11,000 jobs and another 4,000 in the supply chain.

Jim Robbins, leader of Swindon Borough Council, says: "I've already managed to get a commitment out of the Science Museum, they'll have some of their exhibits in the town centre. Lots of positive conversations with developers."

Ben Marvell
BBC News in Swindon town centre

I’m standing on Regent Street in Swindon, home to the town’s main shopping area.

There are still many shoppers out and about after lunch, but not nearly as many as earlier on.

One of the issues we’ve heard about from residents is the degree of antisocial behaviour in the area.

A newly introduced public spaces order allows the police to seize e-scooters and fine public drinkers - so work is being done to combat the problem.

But judging by my experience today, dive bombing pigeons could easily be added to that list.

We've been speaking to Roger Shakles, who has run Sewcraft Swindon for the past 27 years - an independent business which has stood on Havelock Street for more than 60 years.

Trade, Mr Shakles says, is "very low at the moment".

"People don't have the money to spend so they're choosing not to spend it on hobbies and stuff like that," he says.

As well as dealing with competitors like Amazon and Vinted and a decline in trade related to costumes for theatre and dance performances since the Covid pandemic, Mr Shakles says it has been "very hard" to absorb the rising costs of running a business.

In recent years, he says, he has been forced to halve his team of eight employees to four, with bills up by £900 a month.

Ben Marvell
BBC News in Swindon town centre

I’m on Fleming Way in Swindon, home to Swindon’s new bus boulevard, which is due to open in the next few weeks.

Walking around the town, I’ve heard conflicting views about the impact the project will have.

Some believe it will liven up the town centre, encouraging people to visit the main drag, while others believe the problems run deeper and won’t be resolved by more attractive public infrastructure.

Either way, it should improve walking access from the railway station, which will come as a relief to many.

As we've spoken to people in Swindon town centre today we've started to hear the same comments coming up time and again - the decline in the number of shops and people's concern about safety.

Resident Paul Batsford told us there was "nothing to do really" in the town centre, and said he didn't think the new bus plaza would help as there was "no point" if "you haven't got the shops to come to".

Kylie, who was in the town centre with her three children, said: "Swindon town isn’t the safest or nicest place to walk around I only come when have to get stuff for the kids and I try to leave as soon as possible."

Rudi’s Bar is a “Swindon institution” and has been on the local scene continuously since the 1970s, but has had to adapt to a continuing downward trend in footfall.

Its distinctive art-deco venue has remained a constant presence throughout all the vast changes and redevelopments in the town centre.

Shaun Montague who's been running the venue since 2017 said the town gets "a bit of a rough time”.

“I think people are down on Swindon as a whole," he said.

"We've lost the big groups - we don't get the walk through trade that we used to.

"But you learn to adapt, you've got to do different things, we [now] work really closely with Mecca [Bingo], Wyvern Theatre and the restaurants."

Image source, Google

What is going to happen to try and solve some of the town centre's problems?

New powers to tackle anti-social behaviour are being rolled out meaning the authorities can issue on-the-spot fines.

Councillor Jim Grant said it was in response to concerns of some residents, who he said felt scared of going to the town centre because of drunkenness, harassment and illegal e-scooters.

Swindon Borough Council said it was part of a range of measures which aimed to make the centre more appealing to residents and investors.

"No-one's going to come if there are people drinking in the streets, drug dealing, women and girls being harassed, so we are addressing that," said Mr Grant, who is the council's cabinet member for communities.

Huggy has told our reporters that the centre has changed significantly in the time he's lived there - an impressive 60 years.

“Shops not open, they keep on closing down," he says. "I could write a book about how much has changed."

But he was positive about the new Fleming Way bus development saying "that's good".

Image source, South Swindon Parish Council

A group of artists and creators are hoping to play their part in rejuvenating Swindon town centre.

The town’s art development organisation, Artsite, is working to use empty business units as temporary art venues, now in its second year of running two art festivals.

Organiser Sue Bardwell hopes to showcase “the amount of creativity and interesting things that happen in Swindon, people need a reminder of that sometimes”.

“Swindon’s very personal and close to me, definitely improvements could be made, but I don’t think its as dismal as people make out."

Image source, South Swindon Parish Council

Kelly Morgan
Wiltshire political reporter

Walking around town today it’s been busy, plenty of people walking the streets but those willing to speak are, on the whole, less than complementary about the town.

Although the new Fleming Way development is going down well overall, consistent gripes about the time projects take to complete, empty shops and anti-social behaviour are common themes.

Parking costs and people struggling with addiction are talked about as issues by independent business owners.

As somebody who lives in the town I can see the improvements are coming but speed may be of the essence if the town centre is to thrive again.

Our reporters have spoken this morning to Robert and Elizabeth Quaile, both of whom served as police officers in the town.

Mrs Quaile described the town centre as "very dowdy, very unloved", but Mr Quaile didn't entirely agree.

“I have to disagree with my wife," he told the BBC. "I love the open plan bit [at the start of the Fleming Way redevelopment] - has become a lot more secure you’re not looking over your shoulder all the time. I love it.”

The idea of moving the Wyvern Theatre to Regent Circus has been rejected by the leader of Swindon Borough Council, Jim Robbins.

Tory member Gary Sumner made the suggestion earlier.

"Part of the reason it isn't doing well is that it isn't in the right place," says Mr Robbins.

He thinks the better option is for the theatre to be on the site of the current bus station.

Read the full story here.

Ben, 21, jokes "it's a really nice place".

"The muggers are all really nice they're very polite when they ask for your phone," he says.

There's a lot of building work going on in the centre at the moment, something Ben says at the site of the work on Fleming Way, is "terrible".

"The construction is slow and steady, they're very methodical," he adds.

"Everything takes ages to get done, it's just a depressing atmosphere."

Here's how it looks right now... Nearly ready.