By Russell Findlay

The Scottish Government's top legal chief is trying to ban a police officer from using sensitive documents at an employment tribunal.

The Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC believes PC Robert Brown should not be allowed to use the paperwork as evidence in his claim against Police Scotland.

Whistleblower Mr Brown will claim that they support his allegation of criminality against numerous other officers.

The documents - comprising around 12 pages - include various reports from the police to the Crown about proceeds of crime cases, mobile phone records, warrant applications, police intelligence and a sudden death.

Mr Wolffe has lodged a submission to Glasgow tribunal judge Muriel Robison on Friday arguing that banning the documents is in the 'public interest'.

It is the first time that a Lord Advocate has "taken a public interest objection to the recovery, inspection or use of documents".

In his submission, seen by STV News, Mr Wolffe says that the papers are "confidential".

He argues that it would be "against the public interest including in safeguarding the integrity and effectiveness of the system for detecting, investigating and prosecuting crime".

Mr Wolffe is head of the Crown Office and a government minister.

His submission states that a report about how Mr Brown came to have the documents was submitted to the Crown Office earlier this year - but no action was taken.

He also says: "There is no basis for an inference that the Lord Advocate may have anything other than the public interest as his ulterior reason for making representations to the Tribunal."

Mr Brown has 29 years' service and is based in Glasgow. He has been trying to bring his whistleblowing case since 2014.

Any employee who brings information about a wrongdoing to the attention of their employers or a relevant organisation can be protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

They are also able to bring such cases to an employment tribunal.

In a previous tribunal hearing, Mr Brown claimed the Counter Corruption Unit wrongly accused him of corruption.

He also said they then altered statements he had provided to them.

Police Scotland lawyers previously attempted to have the tribunal claim thrown out but were unsuccessful.

Mr Brown declined to comment.

A Crown Office spokesman also declined to comment "while proceedings are ongoing".