Swindon's closed Debenhams targeted by urban explorer

'Mr Airborne' visited the closed department store in Swindon town centre this month and livestreamed himself trying to gain entry. 

The shop has been closed since 2020 after it was announced it would not be reopening following the lifting of the Covid-19 lockdown. 

It has sat empty since but will soon become a self-storage locker business with retailer units.

The outside of Falcon House is also being renovated to make the building itself look nicer and consequently, it is currently covered in scaffolding. 

It is this structure upon which Mr Airborne starts his video, telling his viewers that he is going to try and get inside. 

(Image: Mr Airborne) He said: "Yo, what's going on everyone, I'm back and we are trying to get into a huge abandoned Debenhams store. At the moment we're at the top by the apartment blocks."

He walks around the scaffolding around Falcon House to see if there is a way to access the multi-storey car park or the Debenhams itself, before reaching the top and showing his viewers the view of the town and doing shout-outs and promoting his merchandise.

He also discusses other places in Swindon he might be able to visit, including the Mechanics' Institute. which he says he doesn't want to go to, and the Oasis, which he had already visited but says he might not be able to go back to because a campaign group publicised his livestream. 

(Image: Mr Airborne) He can then be seen trying several air vents to see if they will open without success.

He gains entry to a stairwell and begins to follow it down where he eventually finds an indoor corridor that looks like it's being worked on, with rooms that look newly refurbished. 

Ultimately, he is unable to find entry into the store and heads back up to the roof where he eventually spots a police officer waiting in a car below and then sets the livestream to 'supporters' only. 

You can view the video here. 

In 2022 another urban explorer gained entry into the store and posted a YouTube video of what it looked like a couple of years after it was permanently closed. 

In the video, viewers could see rows and rows of empty shelving and storage units, forgotten mannequins, extensive amounts of retail detritus like hangers and stickers and till roll among other things. 

All of it was strangely punctuated by the remaining presence of high-end fashion branding with names like Clarins, Lancome, Givenchy, Chanel, Versace and Dior.

The lights, and even the escalators, still appeared to be in full working order. There were even dozens of chairs still in the restaurant and Costa Coffee, and piles of teapots and mugs. 

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson, previously commenting on urban exploring, said: "While it is not a criminal offence to trespass, it is clear from this website that these people are going into structures that are either derelict or are going to be demolished.

"Our advice to these people would be to stay out of these structures because if they injure themselves it could be hours or even days before help arrives. If something does happen it also puts the lives of those people in the emergency services at risk when they have to rescue these people as well."