Attacks on paramedics have soared by more than a third in three years.
Shocking figures from the Scottish Ambulance Services (SAS) show the number of assaults on crews jumped from 228 in 2010 to 306 in 2012.
In Stirling, there have been 26 attacks since 2010. Ambulance staff found themselves subjected to “pushing, punching and spitting”, as well as being assaulted with weapons.
A trainee paramedic was also assaulted while at college and another incident occurred at the SAS national headquarters.
A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “In the majority of cases where crews are threatened or assaulted, alcohol is a key factor in the incident.”
A total of 839 verbal and physical attacks were recorded over the past three years. Edinburgh emerged as the most dangerous ambulance station, with 100 attacks on paramedics over the three years.
The spokesman said: “Ambulance staff undertake a difficult and challenging job in often extreme situations. Increasingly they are subjected to verbal abuse from the public on an almost daily basis as they go about their job.
“If any ambulance crews feel that their safety may be compromised, they are instructed to hold nearby the scene and await support from the police, or additional ambulance crews.”