Ambulance crews are refusing to go to dozens of ‘high-risk’ addresses in Clydebank without a police escort.

Data from the Scottish Ambulance Services shows 38 addresses in the G81 postcode area that crews will not respond to without first assessing the need for police back-up.

G13, which includes Anniesland, Knightswood and Yoker, has 31.

G15, Drumchapel, has 13 high-risk addresses.

G82, Cardross, Milton and Renton has 16 addresses and G83, including Alexandria and Arrochar has 19.

Across the Greater Glasgow area, there are 885 addresses where previous incidents have occurred that give crews reason to fear for their safety.

The G postcode area with the highest number is G51 which includes Govan, Ibrox, Drumoyne and Cessnock.

Areas in the north and east of the city also have a high number of addresses on the red flag list.

G33 and G32, which include Carntyne, Garthamlock, Provanmill, Tollcross Shettleston and Springboig have 38 and 37 high-risk addresses respectively.

G22, Possilpark and Milton has 35, G20, Maryhill and Ruchill has 34, while G21, Springburn, Balornock, and Royston has 33.

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Our staff should not fear for their safety when working, and these measures have been put in place to help protect them while they do their job.

"Individual addresses where previous incidents have occurred are automatically flagged to our crews, allowing staff to undertake dynamic risk assessments or if required request additional support.

"It is not correct to say that individual addresses are too dangerous or ‘no-go areas’.

"Our staff are trained in assessing risk and managing aggression so that they can make a sensible decision based on the circumstances. Getting to the sickest patients is always our priority."

Police said the availability of resources is likely to mean not every call-out can be attended to in the future.

Brian Jones, vice chair of the Scottish Police Federation, which represents officers, said: "We fully understand why ambulance crews won’t go to places if they think they’re going to be attacked.

“But the police are the service of last resort – we have no choice in the matter.

“In the near future there will come a point when a decision will have to be made about what we can’t go to, because it will be physically impossible to go to everything.

“These incidents just show how society is changing – and it is just another thing which is placing a demand on resource policing when things are getting tighter.”

Across Scotland, there are nearly 4,500 properties which have been subjected to the Scottish Ambulance Service’s ‘red flag’ policy.