An unusual new use has been found for a closed hotel and conference centre near Swindon while its long-term future remains uncertain. 

The Venues Collection, which ran the building until it shut its doors for good at the end of February, has warned members of the public they may see police activity there every now and then. 

A spokesperson from the Venues Collection warned locals in Wroughton that officers would be present on the site on May 9, but nothing untoward or alarming would be happening there. 

Rather, the county's police force would be making use of the venue's ample space to carry out training drills. 

The spokesperson said: "I  just wanted to let you know that Wiltshire Police will be carrying out some training drills here on May 9 which will involve the use of our external car parks for small simulated public disorder scenarios.

"Approximately 30 officers, some of whom may be in plain clothes, [will be involved]

"I wanted to forewarn you in case anyone reports a disturbance."

This was not the first time that Wiltshire Police have used the closed hotel. The same Venues Collection spokesperson issued a similar public warning in March. 

They said: "You may see police vehicles coming and going at various times or parked in the car parks, please don’t be alarmed as we are working with Swindon Police who will be making use of parts of the building for training purposes."

After the closure of Alexandra House, The Venues Collection installed secondary barriers to the main entrance which were more robust than the existing ones to prevent vehicles from driving onto the fields. 

But since then, there has not been a lot of activity there apart from the police training, and it is not yet known what might happen to it. 

The closure of Alexandra House was announced in January with members receiving an email.

Just over a month later, the hotel's final day of opening finished at 10pm on Wednesday, February 28.

In the email statement, a spokesperson for Alexandra House said: "We regret to announce that Alexandra House, including the leisure club, will be closing on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. 

"Despite exploring all possible alternatives, due to ongoing high operational and energy costs, it is no longer financially viable for us to continue running the site.