WITH thousands of Wembley tickets unsold, police in Swindon are expecting a busy night on Sunday as many fans remain in the town to watch the match.

Around 9,000 of the Robins’ allocation has not been sold ahead of Sunday’s League One play-off final and Wiltshire Police has responded by providing an enhanced presence in Swindon.

Supt Andrew Carr said there will be a small contingent of county officers heading to Wembley on the day, where they will assist Metropolitan Police’s football operation.

The bank holiday Monday is also expected to increase the number of people in Swindon’s nightspots across the town centre and Old Town on Sunday (MAY 24) night.

“We will be sending our football liaison officer and a couple of others to help the Met, as we do at every away match,” he said.

“That will be quite normal, just in terms of helping identifying any risk supporters. That would be normal, as we do at other away games.

“There will be an enhanced policing presence on the evening. “ The senior officer believes the lack of trains on offer from Swindon to London and live television coverage are likely to have been the main factors in limiting the numbers travelling.

“There are not as many going to travel and they may well be using local pubs. Anywhere that is showing the match will see an increased police presence in the town,” he said.

“We are looking forward to a good result and the right answer.

“The travel situation may well have put people off; the mainline is closed and there is potentially industrial action anyway.

“It might not be as easy a journey and it’s on Sky as well.”

In Swindon, Operation Diamond runs on Friday and Saturday nights, to monitor the town’s night-time economy, but this will be amended slightly to take the football into account.

The limited Wiltshire Police presence at Wembley on the day will liaise with the Met, and provide assistance on who exactly they should be looking out for.

Supt Carr is confident any problems emerging on Sunday in and around Wembley will be kept to a minimum, with an efficient and well-practised Met football unit in place throughout the day.

“Opportunists there may be, but the nature of the occasion is such that this is a very well-oiled policing operation,” he said.

“Wembley is very well-policed and the supporters are very well-managed there.

“It is supposed to be a celebration day and there will be a lot of families as well. But despite all of those things, we have to keep an eye out.”