At least three windows of the property are no longer boarded up. And the one being used as an access point is positioned very close to the old Station Road entrance.
However, in order to get in, you would need to step over a large gap with a perilous drop of around 15 feet.
One Annan resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I saw them going in the side window. The academy had said that it was lunchtime, so they didn’t have control over the kids.
“They wanted nothing to do with it, they told me to phone the police and they asked how I knew they were from Annan Academy. I then went to the police station but it was closed.”
The resident added: “I would really hate for something to happen to a child. They were not any older than second year. Kids think its the in thing. Only a few weeks ago there were people pictured in the upstairs window on social media. Will they brag about it if someone gets hurt?”
They went on: “As everybody has said, it (the Central Hotel) is an eyesore. But its the safety aspect somebody has to board it up.”
Earlier this year a TikTok content creator published a video which showed the sorry state of the buildings interior. It received hundreds of thousands of views and was widely shared across platforms.
At the time, this prompted a warning against entering the building from Annandale South Councillor Richard Brodie, while Dumfries and Galloway Council said they were aware of break-ins at the property and were making arrangements to make it secure.
However, commenting this week a council spokesperson said: “The Central Hotel, Annan is a privately owned property that the council has no responsibility for.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson added: “Derelict buildings can be and often are very unsafe and pose a genuine danger to anyone who ventures in.
People should not enter them as they are not safe environments to be in. Anyone who has any concerns should call Police Scotland on 101.”
The Category C listed Central Hotel closed its doors in 2012. Since then it has been broken into on numerous occasions.
It first opened in the late 19th century and in its heyday was a popular venue in the town.
