Offenders carrying out community service should be made to wear high-visibility clothing to let the public see they are carrying out worthwhile duties, according to the Labour Party in Scotland.

Offenders carrying out community service should be made to wear high-visibility clothing to let the public see they are carrying out worthwhile duties, according to the Labour Party in Scotland.

The party's justice spokesman said it would ensure justice is not only done "but is seen to be done" and give the public confidence in the system of providing an alternative to a custodial sentence for lower-level offenders.

Richard Baker MSP said he wants to see offenders on the streets identified as they serve their sentences, not for shaming purposes but for reassurance that a debt to society is being paid.

Offenders in parts of the USA often wear high-visibility clothing while carrying out community sentences, and celebrities including supermodel Naomi Campbell and singer turned DJ Boy George have been subjected to the high-visibility treatment.

Mr Baker said: "In America many community courts get their offenders to wear hi-viz vests. The community can clearly see that offenders are working hard to repay their debt to society for the offence they have caused. At the moment the general public have little confidence in community service and after the record number of breaches this year it's difficult to alter the perception that community service is a soft-touch option."

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: "We want to make sure communities have a say in the work being done and that the work is visible. We have funded three community justice authorities to pilot new ways of making the work more visible to communities, and will act on the results."