A CRIME hotspot in the town centre could be removed if regeneration plans are put into place and government funding is provided.

On Saturday evening a woman was raped in an underpass linking Station Road and the Oasis, the latest in a number of violent crimes in the area.

Last year Tom Rogers was stabbed to death in the alley, while there was also an assault and attempted robbery nearby.

There have been calls to improve the level of security in the area but if the town centre masterplan comes into fruition a new footbridge could bypass the problem all together.

Developed several years ago it has been proposed to build a footbridge linking the Oasis with the town centre, making it easier for people to travel between the two.

However, this would require £10 million to build, which the council does not have, so it would have to be funded by central government.

Improving safety for people would not be enough to secure the funds so the council would need to prove there was an economic benefit to the scheme. It is unlikely the money will be available until there has been some development of the Oasis site.

A council spokesman said: “We want to put a pedestrian bridge across the rail line to connect North Star with the town centre, but getting it built is linked to the wider regeneration of that area.

“The cost of building a bridge will be in excess of £10m, so we will need to put in a bid to central government for the money and show the wider benefits it will bring.

“We won’t get funding for that amount simply because a bridge would be safer for users than an underpass – we have to show other reasons as well. We are currently working with various bodies, including the rail industry, on identifying the type of bridge that would be most suitable.

“Swindon owes its growth and prosperity to the railway, but the downside is that it cuts the town centre in two, making it more difficult and expensive than it would otherwise be to connect the various central areas of the town.”

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said: “I very much support Swindon Council’s plan to include this project in their local infrastructure plan.”

Anyone with information about Saturday’s incident or who was in the area of the underpass or Station Road should call Wiltshire Police on non-emergency number 101. Officers would like to hear from anyone who used the underpass between 10pm and midnight.