Newtownabbey pensioners Rosie and Gerard Convery want the burnt shell, which sits right next to their Longland Park home, to be completely removed and feel the authorities keep "passing the buck" on the issue.

Last year the former car repair yard was completely destroyed by a deliberately lit fire just two days before Christmas.

Almost 200 residents had to be evacuated and nearby retail outlets were closed because of concerns that a highly volatile acetylene gas cylinder might explode.

Mrs Convery explained shortly after the fire they were told the building would either be repaired or removed.

However, nothing has been done since the former car repair shop went up in smoke.

A spokeswoman for Newtownabbey Borough Council said officers from its Environmental Health department were aware of the property and were in the process of organising a survey to be carried out to assess its risk.

But with winter setting in and more bad weather forecast, the Convery's want something to be done now.

"It is coming up to a year now and nothing has been done," Mrs Convery said.

"For the past year it (the building) has been like that.

"Bits of it keep flying off and dropping into my garden.

"There are three bits in the garden at the moment and over the weekend more bits kept flying in.

"I was told not to move it but my grandchildren are always playing in the backyard. What am I suppose to do?"

Mr and Mrs Convery also said that since the fire, the site and their back gate (which is next to the yard) had become the local dumping ground, attracting rats and anti-social behaviour.

"Every weekend they (young people) are out there drinking, carrying on and leaving rubbish about," Mrs Convery said.

"We are constantly cleaning up after them and everyone else who leaves stuff lying about.

"Just the other week a bed was left up against our gate and last week my son Michael, who was up here, saw a rat running about.

"He tried to catch it but it got away."

The ongoing anti-social behaviour and the has been quite stressful for the couple.

Mrs Convery is still recovering from Ovarian cancer and Mr Convery has prostate cancer.

They said they contacted the local council on numerous occasions to resolve the problems but feel as though it has gotten them nowhere.

"About three weeks ago a woman from environmental health came out to see us.

"She got the oil tank from the yard removed but said she could not do anything else because they don't know who owns it (the property).

"She said they can't do anything until they found out who did."

The Newtownabbey Borough Council spokeswoman said the council has now established ownership of the burnt out premises and was currently in the process of arranging a survey, in order to assess the level of risk.