THIS is the state of a prime site which has prompted a town’s mayor and residents to call for urgent action.

Pictures of a property in Victoria Street in Dovercourt show an eyesore of twisted metal and debris.

The abandoned building, which is privately owned, was damaged in a fire and has become a major eyesore.

It is understood Tendring Council has written to land owners and asked them to clear the site and improve its appearance within 28 days.

Harwich mayor Ivan Henderson says the site has been neglected for far too long.

He said: “ I have now gone to Essex County Council and they have confirmed they are going to send an officer there to inspect the situation.

“I have asked that they add to the pressure on Tendring Council to take the appropriate action and make that whole area safe.

“We have had problems around there ever since the building was fire damaged and demolished.”

Gazette: Victoria StreetVictoria Street

Mr Henderson has also addressed the temporary measures in place saying an urgent action needs to be taken.

He added: “It just comes up time and time again where the hoardings are not sufficient and in a good condition.

“The council needs to come down hard on the land owners.

“That it is a safety issue which needs urgent action. It cannot wait over 20 days before something is done.”

Residents have also taken to social media to voice their concerns.

One of them said: “As much as the fence is a problem, the abandoned building being open is a bigger problem, it is attracting lots a youngsters who want to explore it.

“The whole fence needs redoing before someone gets hurt.”

A spokesman for Tendring Council has previously said: “While we cannot comment on the details of a live investigation – launched when a complaint is made of this nature – the matter is being actively pursued by officers with an intention to resolve the issues at the site as soon as possible.

“As we said last year this location is identified within our adopted Dovercourt Revisited Masterplan as a development opportunity site.”