Sheriff’s wig among items stolen by brazen crooks in Scotland’s courts

Crooks have also taken handbags, wallets and computer equipment from Scotland’s sheriff courts, security officials have said.

Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) documents show that one thief managed to bag a sheriff’s wig at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last year.

At Edinburgh and Hamilton, £200 was stolen.

More bizarre thefts include a bin at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court and a jar of coffee at Edinburgh.

The news comes after details of how officials have stopped more than 10,000 weapons being brought into courts.

Four thousand knives have been taken from visitors to the courts in the past three years while 20 thefts were reported between 2014 and 2016.

But the true level of crime could well be higher. One official in Ayrshire who asked to remain anonymous said: “A lot of habitual criminals will not suddenly decide to stop stealing when they enter a court building to face the consequences of their behaviour.

“The fact someone had the gall to steal a sheriff’s wig tells you everything you need to know about the mindset of some of these people.

“We know fine well which characters to keep an eye on, but things sometimes go missing all the same.

“My advice is to members of the public is to watch themselves if they need to attend court.

“It makes sense to remain vigilant at all times.

“Just because you’re sitting under the noses of security guards, police and sheriffs it does not mean that some people won’t give a second thought to trying to get their hands on your handbag or wallet.”

An SCTS spokesman said: “Security within court buildings is very important to SCTS and any thefts are treated very seriously.

“However, the number of thefts, or items going missing, is low and we work hard with the police and our security contractors to ensure that remains the case.”