Plea after 'important' plaque taken from old station

Calls are being made for a dedication plaque to be returned after it was taken from the demolition site of a former bus station.

Swindon Borough Council said the plaque was unveiled when the station was opened by the town's mayor in 1984 but "someone has now broken in and taken it for themselves".

The dilapidated bus station, which has been criticised for failing to create a "good first impression" of Swindon, is being cleared to make way for a new regional entertainment venue.

A council spokesman said the "important" plaque had been "destined" for the town's museums team to "safeguard this moment in Swindon's history" and warned "further action" would be taken if it was not returned.

Appealing on social media, the council said it wanted to "keep this piece of history safe and cared for" along with "plenty of other people in the town".

"We know the bus station will hold a lot of memories for some people and, it is possible that someone may have taken the plaque with the best of intentions in order to preserve an important piece of its history," a spokesperson said.

"If this was the case, we ask that it is returned to the construction site and placed inside the gate as soon as possible and no further action will be taken," they added.

They said the theft had not been reported to police yet, but if the plaque was not returned, CCTV footage would be used to track down those responsible.

The demolition work is due to be completed by mid-March.

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