The residents, who say they are marooned at home, are pleading for someone to help them!

The problems began at Curfew Place, Leadhills on April 10 last year when the front wall of the cottage at number six collapsed onto the communal roadway.

Shortly after two police officers from Lanark attended the scene and erected barrier tape around the area.

Later, South Lanarkshire Council had a contractor erect a metal barrier around the debris. This prevented people entering the area due to the danger of further collapse.

More than nine months has passed, and since then there has been further deterioration of the cottage due to recent storms.

Since April, the communal roadway that serves numbers 6, 7 and 8 Curfew along with 4 Bell View, has been closed. This prevents vehicle access for deliveries to other homes.

Resident Jemma Worrall who lives at number seven said: “This situation has caused huge inconvenience for all the residents in the affected homes. I have a physical disability and recently had spinal surgery which means I have trouble walking. My condition has been made worse by this situation. I feel like I’m a prisoner in my own home.”

“My partner works long hours as an HGV driver so my poor elderly neighbour is having to help me by lifting heavy items into my garden to get anything to me.”

Jemma claims the council knew the building was a danger before it collapsed and has been left frustrated that nothing has been done to rectify the problem, despite the house lying empty for three decades.

Jemma has contacted her MSP and MP as well as the councillors for South Lanarkshire Ward 3 East.

She says the MSP and the MP simply passed the ball to the councillors, who have tried to get some action from the council without success.

The cottage is in such a dilapidated state that demolition is the only option left. A consultant engineer who inspected the property for SLC confirmed this said Jemma.

It seems that, despite engaging a tracing agent, SLC have been unable to find the owner of No 6.

It seems also that SLC do not wish to exercise their statutory powers that would allow them to demolish No 6 and reopen the communal roadway neither will the Leadhills estate.

We are feeling isolated and unsupported and we have the feeling that nobody wants to help us.

Another resident of Curfew Place affected by the derelict and dangerous property is Steve Johnstone, 71.

The pensioner says he has been left having to walk with his his shopping from the bottom of the street to his home due to the road closure.

The retired contract manager believes the issue has gone on for “far too long” and wants to see the local authority implement a compulsory purchase order.

Steve added: “The access road to my home is blocked and it has been since April.

Fraser Carlin, Head of Planning and Regulatory Services at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “The council’s Building Standards service has issued a Dangerous Building Notice requiring reinstatement or part demolition of No 6 Curfew Place by its legal owner.

“Despite extensive searches however, we have been unable to trace the current owner of the property.

"We will continue to monitor the site, but until such time as an owner is identified there is no further action that can be taken by the local authority.”

Jemma said: “Our neighbour who is also affected by this has put forward to SLC that if they compulsory purchase the site (which would not cost them anything due to the council tax they are due from number 6) and they cleared it he would buy the site from them so that they would not lose any money, but this seems to be falling on deaf ears too.”