A former Bromley born police officer who swapped the Met for Monopoly has opened the doors to Bromley's first gaming cafe.

Based in Bromley's The Mall shopping centre, Warboar Games welcomed players of all ages and abilities when it held a grand opening on Saturday, January 2.

After the success of the original shop near Bromley North founder Jason Grimwood took the plunge to expand into a bigger premises, as well as the new challenge of running a cafe.

Mr Grimwood started his gaming business three and a half years ago after leaving the police following a seven-year stint, which included time in the Met's notorious riot squad.

The 29-year-old told News Shopper: "I didn't know about business so I taught myself.

"I want to teach people if they want to do this sort of thing, anyone can do it."

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James Eade 15 and Giles Dale 14, playing, Magic - The Gathering.

From selling games online from his bedroom, to managing a team of 14 staff, Mr Grimwood said he's enjoying the ride as his business continues to grow.

He added: "It's a big learning curve but I like it.

"Life's here to challenge us, we have got to jump in at the deep end at times."

The two-storey cafe and retailer offers something for everyone - from war gaming to traditional boardgames and modern favourites - all with the added bonus of comfortable chairs and barista-style coffee.

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Mr Grimwood, who has lived in Hayes for the past 20 years, said he was inspired by the surge of boardgame cafes in countries like America and Canada.

He said: "The gaming industry in terms of computer games is booming.

"For the parents you don't want your kids playing on an Xbox for 12 hours a day and not learning anything from it."

Warboar Games is the first in the country to combine retail with a cafe and the largest gaming centre in London, Mr Grimwood said.