THE face of 2.5 million pro-Union leaflets produced by the UK Government has said she supports independence, the Sunday Herald can reveal.

Actress Tracey Jenkins, from Glasgow, said she now felt "slightly embarrassed" at having posed as the mum in a family picture which appears in the 16-page leaflet What Staying In The United Kingdom Means For Scotland.

Hers is the first face voters see when they open the booklet. Her picture appears opposite the slogan "A United Kingdom. A united future." The UK Government has spent £720,000 on sending a copy to every household in Scotland.

But Jenkins said: "I believe we have a unique opportunity to create a better society for all the people of Scotland. This is why, without a doubt, I have decided to vote Yes."

She said the photoshoot was arranged by her agent a few months ago, and although she knew it was for the No campaign, she had no idea where or even if the pictures would be used.

"When I realised it was in a widespread UK Government booklet across Scotland I was slightly embarrassed," she said.

"It was just a job, and I'm proud of the fact that little animosity has been generated in the debates and discussions I've taken part in with Yes and No voters alike."

Jenkins, 35, started out in drama but then started her own business in her early twenties.

After six years, she sold up to study literature and film at Glasgow University, and has recently revived her acting career.

"This referendum is a positive example of the democratic process, and I hope we can continue in this vein with a Yes vote," she said.

"We can then be accurately represented and even establish a constitution to protect fundamental our rights and create a more equal society. There are so many issues that have been positively addressed by the Yes campaign, like retaining the pound, safeguarding the NHS, protecting the elderly, and opportunities for the young with free tuition.

"We are also a country with a wealth of natural resources, and I am hopeful we can move forward in a constructive and supportive way, which is why I will be voting Yes."

A Yes Scotland spokesperson said: "People all over Scotland are waking up to the opportunities of an independent Scotland - even within the pages of the UK Government's own taxpayer-funded booklet.

"It just shows that nothing the Tory-led No campaign say can be believed, and we hope that people all over Scotland will follow Tracey's example and vote Yes."

A UK Government spokesman said: "The booklet used models rather than people who had a specific view on the referendum.

"We agree the referendum is a great example of the democratic process - everyone is entitled to their own opinion and we respect that."

Last week, a blog by Better Together supporter Yvonne Hama was removed after it emerged she had retweeted messages by former BNP leader Nick Griffin and compared the SNP to Nazis.