A TINY vandalised cottage in Stevenston could be set to be given a new lease of life.

Well, that’s the hope of residents in the area who have watched it become the target for vandalism over the last five years.

It is hoped that Scottish Historic Buildings Trust will be taking over the cottage with the idea of restoring it to become a small museum devoted to the town’s history.

At the moment the cottage, next to Stevenston High Kirk, is lying in a state of disrepair and has become a hotbed for loutish behaviour with the front door kicked off its hinges, windows smashed and inside being left ransacked.

Despite metal boards being installed at the cottage, vandals have managed to rip them off and break inside.

From the front door you can see inside that a toilet has been knocked off the wall and most of the floorboards have been hauled up with the ground exposed underneath.

Outside the building, as you can see from this photograph, the front door is lying on the top of the cottage’s steps.

The cottage has trees and plants growing outside the walls and on the roof too.

Upstairs, the iron grill has been taken off the window and again, the floorboard ripped up and placed against the window.

But one resident who contacted the Herald believes that there could be hope for its future.

The cottage could be taken over by Scottish Historic Buildings Trust.

This is the group behind the restoration of historic landmarks including The Station Hotel in Ayr.

They work to preserve buildings and find a use for them, from hotels to museums.

Despite several attempts to contact the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, no one replied to our enquiry.