Court staff fear violent attacks if a plan by Police Scotland to remove officers from courtrooms goes ahead.
A savings plan could see 150 officers removed from courts across the country and put on front line policing duties.
But workers have told the Sunday Mail witnesses are already scared and the problem will only get worse should force bosses push ahead with the measure across Scotland.
The plans have been tested at Edinburgh Sheriff Court since May.
One court worker there said they have seen dozens of assaults in the last year inside the court building.
They said: “During the last year there have been over 20 assaults and 10 since April this year.
“At the start of this year, a policeman was assaulted in the dock of the High Court, there have been several escape attempts by accused from the dock including one time one jumped the dock to assault the Procurator Fiscal and was only stopped by a brave policeman who was also injured.
“Witnesses have told me they now feel scared in court giving evidence without the reassurance of a policeman in uniform standing at the back of the court.”
Police Scotland said: “Any new court officer operating model that reduces the police officer numbers within the court structure will be returned to local policing divisions to support operational policing.”
Chief Constable Jo Farrell previously said she was committed to “prioritising frontline services” in her vision for Police Scotland.
David Fraser, executive director court operations, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, said: “The environment and dynamics of
each court is very different and individual risk assessments will be required at each and every location to ensure public safety is maintained if a change to the current policing model were to be proposed by Police Scotland.”
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