Thieves have already hit Arbroath Sheriff Court twice since its controversial closure three months ago.
A community group is now rushing to buy Arbroath’s 19th century courthouse before real damage is done.
The Scottish Court Service closed Arbroath in favour of keeping its sister court at Forfar open.
At the weekend the SCS, which is keeping the building safe until its sale, gave guided tours around courtrooms and custody cells as part of Angus Heritage Week.
The tours were thought up by Arbroath Court Action Group, which is orchestrating a number of grant applications towards community ownership.
SCS area manager Dave Mills could not confirm whether the service has received any offers but said it would be “so nice” for the community to effect a buyout.
He said two break-ins have been foiled by CCTV, which was left on to protect the building.
He added: “This is a beautiful building but because it is no longer a working court, we’ve had to take out a lot of the things that you’d associate with its working life, like furniture and chairs and so on.
“There are still some wonderful period features so they would have to be retained by a buyer. And the SCS will keep the building in good condition until a buyer is found.”
Action group member Mike Sowden said: “This could be a great asset to the local community and we are doing our best to keep it for Arbroath.”
Many of the county’s private buildings opened their doors over the weekend, including Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club in Glamis, Dunninald Gardens near Montrose, and the Mortuary Chapel in Arbroath.