Police box heading to precinct for final fittings
Wednesday, 2 April 2014 - Reported by John Bowman
The police box that has been built for Bournemouth is to be moved into place tomorrow, Dorset Police announced today.As previously reported, and since updated with more pictures, the TARDIS-style box, which it is hoped will become an iconic landmark and create tourism opportunities as well as serving policing purposes, will be officially opened on Tuesday 8th April at 11.30am, but tomorrow - Thursday 3rd April - a crane will be used to move the steel-framed box into hoardings at the western end of Boscombe precinct in Christchurch Road so that final external and internal fittings can take place.
Also today, Dorset Police said that the box would be opened by Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood and tweeted a picture of it showing it with its phone in place, as seen here. The phone will be available for use by members of the public to contact Dorset Police when the box isn't staffed.
Insp Chris Weeks, whose policing responsibilities include the Bournemouth East neighbourhood, said:
This is a significant step forward towards realising the start of an exciting project that has been two years in the planning.
We are looking forward to the formal launch on Tuesday 8 April and also the positive impact it is going to have in relation to public engagement and reducing crime.
We will endeavour to have a member of staff with the police box as much as is operationally possible during the trading hours in the precinct.
Boscombe Partnership and Regeneration Officer Sgt Chris Amey said: We are looking forward to the formal launch on Tuesday 8 April and also the positive impact it is going to have in relation to public engagement and reducing crime.
We will endeavour to have a member of staff with the police box as much as is operationally possible during the trading hours in the precinct.
We are just six days away from what we hope will be a memorable occasion for the people of Boscombe.
Everyone involved in the initiative has worked extremely hard to ensure the police box will arrive within the timescales we set.
As well as all the sponsors I have previously mentioned, I would personally like to thank Keith Short and his team at Sydenhams in Boscombe who have agreed to lift and transport the police box into the precinct tomorrow.
A family fun day will follow the opening next Tuesday to celebrate the police box's arrival.Everyone involved in the initiative has worked extremely hard to ensure the police box will arrive within the timescales we set.
As well as all the sponsors I have previously mentioned, I would personally like to thank Keith Short and his team at Sydenhams in Boscombe who have agreed to lift and transport the police box into the precinct tomorrow.
The box was designed by James Roberts of Christchurch-based architect and design practice Anders Roberts Cheer, based on the iconic 1929 version created for the Metropolitan Police by Gilbert Mackenzie Trench, and built by AMK Industries, also of Christchurch.
It has been funded by local firms and organisations via donations or services, either free or at a significantly reduced cost. The sponsors are to be recognised with an engraved paving stone at the foot of the police box.
UPDATE - 3rd APRIL: Dorset Police tweeted a picture today of the delicate manoeuvre that took place early in the morning to move the police box into position.
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