Firefighters are attacked almost every single day in Scotland while in the line of duty - including being struck with snooker cues, bricks and bottles, it was revealed on Monday.
New national figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that at least 1296 firefighters had been attacked in Scotland while in the line of duty, between 2004/05 and 2008/09 - working out at more than one firefighter attacked every two days.
The majority - 769 - of those firefighters attacked work in the Strathclyde region, compared to 527 firefighters that were attacked in the rest of Scotland in the last five years.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue serves around 2.4million people, and is the largest fire service, followed by Lothian and Borders Police, which covers around 890,000 residents.
The variation between population and number of reported attacks is vast however, as in 2008/09 Lothian and Borders Fire Service only reported forty three attacks on a firefighter, compared to a staggering 142 attacks on firefighters in the Strathyclyde region.
Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service reported the least assaults with only 11 taking place between 2004/05 and 2008/09.
The attacks on fire crews in Scotland range from having tennis balls and apples thrown at them to being attacked with stones, bricks and bottles - as well as being verbally abused by members of the public as they're trying to rescue them from their burning home.
In one incident on January 15 this year, a 70-year-old man was charged with attacking Lothian and Borders firefighters with a snooker cue after they were called to put out his burning home.
The pensioner is alleged to have screamed abuse at the fire crew and attempted to strike members of the team as they tried to rescue him from a kitchen blaze in his home in Kippielaw Park, Dalkeith.
In July last year, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue service firefighters were attacked during an emergency callout to the high-rise in Motherwell. As they tackled a rubbish chute blaze, objects including a Buckfast bottle and a solid glass ashtray were hurled at them from 100ft up at Dalziel Tower.
Roddy Robertson, Executive Council member for Fire Brigades Union Scotland said that there can be "no excuse" for these sorts of attacks taking place.
He added: "It is very disappointing that the figures are still at such a high level. Every firefighter is going out there to try and help people, and don't deserve to be attacked while in the line of duty. A lot of these figures probably involve young children but there's clearly adults assaulting police officers as well and there can be no excuse."
And Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice John Lamont MSP said: "It is totally unacceptable that those who put their lives on the line to save others are being targeted in this way."
A Strathclyde Fire and Rescue spokesman said there has been "considerable reduction in acts of violence against firefighters in the last two years" in the area, with 93 incidents recorded in 2009/10.
A Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said that although they have worked hard to drive down the figures of violence, the large variance in figures between themselves and Strathclyde might be down to the "much larger geographical area that Strathclyde covers".
Lothian and Borders Fire Service Group manager in operations, David Blair, said: "It is always extremely disappointing when firefighters are prevented from responding to an emergency call for assistance. Undue delay can in some cases result in a very real risk to life."
