Squatters have moved into a historic cottage branded one of Wolverhampton’s biggest eyesores, it emerged today.

Police have been called out twice within days to the derelict building at 93 Goldthorn Hill and found evidence that people had been sleeping inside. It is one of the oldest in the area but has fallen into disrepair after years of neglect.

A planning application to knock down the cottage, thought to be more than 100 years old, was given the go-ahead earlier this year despite a campaign to put it on a special protection list.

West Midlands Police today said the owner had assured the force it would be demolished “imminently” after officers found evidence that people had been sleeping inside.

Councillor John Rowley, who represents Blakenhall, said today: “I was walking past the building and something looked different. Curtains had been put up in one of the windows. I went round to the back and heard the voices of people inside. I didn’t want to go in and so I called the police.

“They found evidence of occupation although there was nobody there when they got there. People have been sleeping inside, and the floor had been cleared in one room. The owner has permission to demolish the building and we just want it to go now.”

Police spokesman Steve Garey said: “Police were called on November 11 by somebody saying the front door had been damaged. On November 18 police received another call and found some evidence of squatters but nobody was there.

“The owner was informed who said the property will be demolished imminently.”

The cottage’s former occupant Dr William Smith, known to his students as Jim, taught at the city’s university, then a polytechnic, but the cottage has now been empty more than five years.

Two planning applications to transform the site into housing have been thrown out by the council in the past.