Jenny Gilchrist walks along the path next to the former Hiram Walker distillery on Castle Street when taking her three year old daughter Una to playgroup. She said the strip between the site’s crumbling boundary fence and the footpath is ‘a hazardous no-man’s land’.

The raised strip is strewn with rubble, broken glass, litter, and building wreckage – including several metal spikes sticking out from the tarmac.

Jenny said: “If a kid fell on one of those it would have their eye out. This whole strip is a hazard to people walking past, especially kids. It’s a shame because I’ve got good memories of the distillery from when I was wee but it’s dangerous now.” The 100ft tower and surrounding site which was once home to the distillery has lain derelict for more than a decade.

The site is under the control of administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) following the financial collapse of previous owner Carvill Homes in 2011. A spokeswoman for PwC said the company has endeavoured to maintain ‘a safe and secure environment’ at the site.

However, Jenny said: “PwC keeps saying they have a safe boundary but it’s not a secure boundary and it’s not even at the edge of their property. This part between the fence and the footpath is like a no-man’s land. It’s not just an eyesore, it’s dangerous.” Jenny now plans to write to PwC on behalf of Dumbarton East and Central Community Council urging them to take action to make the site ‘safe’.

The council recently organised a planning event focusing on redeveloping the area at the waterfront and castle – but Jenny believes the site remains a stumbling block.

She added: “There’s good plans for a walkway along the water into the town and they are redeveloping the Burgh Hall but this site is a big white elephant in the middle of it all.” Her five-year-old son, Ruaridh, who has been learning about the hazards of littering in school also wants the site to be cleaned up. He said: “It’s not good of people to leave litter on the floor.” Councillor David McBride added: “Safety is paramount and we would all like to see this site developed as soon as possible. Hopefully the positive steps the council are taking to regenerate the town centre with building our new offices in Church Street will encourage the private sector that now is the time to invest in Dumbarton’s riverside”.

A PwC spokeswoman said: “As the building is a listed structure, it cannot be demolished and we have worked closely with the council and Police Scotland to address the persistent trespass and vandalism that has occurred.

“In addition, we have spent a significant sum maintaining the site and erecting - and subsequently repairing – vandal resistant sitex screening, which has been subjected to sustained and persistent attack from a small number of young people.

“Last year we blocked access to the ground floor of the tower and have now instructed contractors to block access to the first floor of the structure. Police Scotland have confirmed that they are satisfied with this action and the work should be completed inside the next few days.”