Dr Who: Newport police box gets Tardis makeover

The time machine from the BBC sci-fi classic Doctor Who was inspired by police boxes

While this former police box has never travelled through time and space, its new paint job means it looks the part.

Built on Acacia Avenue in Newport in the 1930s, the Grade II-listed box has been repainted to resemble Doctor Who's Tardis.

The restoration work, commissioned by Newport council, also features former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker's scarf.

Councillor Roger Jeavons said he was "delighted" it had been given "a new lease of life".

The Grade-II listed police box had seen better days before its recent restoration

The new paint job features the scarf worn by actor Tom Baker in the BBC series

According to government agency Cadw, which protects historic buildings and structures, the box was listed as an "extremely rare example in Wales of a police telephone box".

The exact date it was built is unknown, but Cadw estimates it "probably" dates from the 1930s.

The police box has been repainted multiple times over the years, but has recently fallen into disrepair and been a regular spot for graffiti artists.

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Mr Jeavons, Newport council's cabinet member for city services, said: "I'm delighted that the council has been able to give the former police box a new lease of life.

"Although it has been impacted by concrete cancer, the Tardis - as it is known locally - is an important local feature and is regarded with great affection by residents."

Tom Baker played the role between 1974 and 1981

When Doctor Who first aired in 1963, police boxes were found on many streets throughout the UK.

They were first used in the late 1880s, but the familiar Tardis shape was first commissioned by the Metropolitan Police in 1929.

They were used by both police officers and members of the public for communication before police radios.

As radios became commonplace the boxes slowly become obsolete, and many were decommissioned and removed.

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