An adult gaming store's 'bingo lounge' is advertised as coming soon as work progresses on an empty town centre unit. 

Over the last few weeks, work has been taking place at an empty unit on Bridge Street, and now signage has gone up revealing what will be moving in there. 

The building on the corner of Queens Street, which is next door to a Shipleys slots and bingo , had been taken over by that company and turned into a Shipleys so that it expand. 

The gambling company had been given the go-ahead by Swindon Borough Council to expand its suite by taking over the adjacent empty unit and create what it calls a Bingo lounge.

When finished, most of the front of both units will be joined to create a space for the playing of online bingo consisting of screens, a large open area with seating and tables to recreate the experience of playing in a bingo hall.

There will still be gaming machines, but they will be restricted to a much smaller area to the rear of the new unit on the corner.

“There is an opportunity to feed into the existing and future economy which will contribute to the regeneration of central Swindon," said a Shipleys' spokesperson.

“The opportunity to offer commercial and employment generating development that contributes to the continued economic prosperity of the borough.”

The plans were approved by Swindon Borough Council because they consisted of an expansion of one of the four existing betting shops in the town centre, 

The borough council has policies in place which try to restrict the proliferation of gambling establishments in the borough, particularly the town centre.

A council spokesperson said: “The proposal will replace an established adult gaming centre operating from part of these premises.

“Therefore, the number of betting and gambling outlets in the area will remain at four and will not increase to five. Furthermore, the bingo use has distinct characteristics.”

As work progresses, banners have been placed around the building advertising it as a Shipleys slots and bingo and a wooden hoarding outside the front of the unit suggests that it is 'coming soon'.

Another sign on the hoarding has an arrow pointing to the pre-existing Shipleys, advertising it as open for 24 hours.

The building was formerly a Cafe Nero but had been closed for over two years

It is not yet known when the Shipleys with bingo hall might be open to the public.