At the western end of Boscombe precinct, on Christchurch Road, stands a small steel police box that looks like it has stepped straight out of Doctor Who. It isn't a themed prop, it's a genuine, working police box, one of only two still operating anywhere in the UK.
History
The box was erected on 8 April 2014, the result of a community safety initiative aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and helping regenerate Boscombe. Local businesses and organisations sponsored its construction with donations of £1,500 each, recognised on engraved paving stones set into the ground around its base. Built from steel to a 1929 Metropolitan Police design, the same template that inspired the TARDIS, it stands around 3 metres tall and weighs more than two tonnes.
Today
The box is regularly staffed during the day by police officers and PCSOs, who use it as a base to meet residents and offer help and advice. A yellow phone fixed to the outside gives the public a direct line to Dorset Police outside those hours. The only other operational police box in the country stands outside Earls Court Underground station in London. It's a small, easy-to-miss curiosity among the bigger draws of the seafront, explore more in our guide to things to do in Bournemouth.