MICHAEL BLACKLEY

EDINBURGH'S sheriff courts are to be cleared for the first two weeks of July as Scotland's criminal justice network gears up for an influx of thousands of protesters against the G8 summit at Gleneagles.

All trials at the court will be put on hold as the justice system suspends normal business to handle anticipated cases connected with protests up and down the country.

Among other measures being taken are turning a former Edinburgh RAF base into a "holding facility" for protesters awaiting trial; drafting teams of interpreters into court to deal with foreign suspects; giving police special "stop and search" powers around Gleneagles; and canceling all police leave for the fortnight at the start of July.

The Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, seen as two of the likeliest targets of any terrorist attack, are also expected to be cordoned off during the week that the summit takes place.

The leaders of the world's eight industrial nations, including Tony Blair, George W Bush and Vladimir Putin, meet from 6 to 8 July at Gleneagles Hotel. However, it is anticipated that anti-capitalists will protest for the whole week leading up to the summit.

Protesters are expected to target areas much further afield than Gleneagles itself. On 2 July, a Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh is expected to attract up to 200,000 people, with campaigners from a variety of groups expected to rally together.

The Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, together with Trident Ploughshares, have organised a campaign against nuclear weapons to take place at Faslane on 4 July.

David Conway, a spokesman for Trident Ploughshares, said he would be concerned if the new measures meant police are to be heavy-handed at the demonstration.

He said: "We have a long history of doing peaceful demonstrations with the right atmosphere and we would be very concerned at any attempt to diminish our right to protest.

"There are a range of demonstrations during that week and I'm sure there will be a whole range of people attending them, but we will solely look to disrupt work at the base and not cause any sort of trouble."

The plans that are being put in place are seen as a clear indication that political leaders in Scotland and England fear that the summit could lead to violent demonstrations, as have been seen in previous years.

Riots in Genoa, Italy, in 2001 saw one protester killed, more than 200 people injured, and 250 arrests. In Evian, France, where the summit was held in 2003, and in the nearby Swiss city of Geneva, protesters threw bottles at police, who responded with tear gas.

Jack McConnell, the First Minister, yesterday said that the Scottish Executive and the UK government would receive the bill for extra security measures.

However, he was unwilling to confirm what measures have been put in place. He said the amount needed to be spent on security depended on the extremity of the demonstrations.

Mr McConnell added: "I cannot confirm specific arrangements, but there have been a number of arrangements to allow for circumstances that could take place."