PETTY criminals in a North-East town are to be publicly shamed by being ordered to wear fluorescent waistcoats.

Convicted offenders are to wear the jackets emblazoned with the words Community Pay Back for clean-up operations across Middlesbrough.

But funding issues mean the labelled waistcoats will not be ready to wear before November.

"It is something we have explored for a long while," said Gordon Wooding, of the National Probation Service, Teesside.

"We have been in the business for 30 years, but we tend to hide our light under a bushel and not advertise we are out there doing good work in the community."

For years, courts on Teesside have handed out community service orders, compelling petty offenders to scrub graffiti off walls, repaint church halls and tidy up open spaces.

But this is the first time the scheme is being given such a high profile.

Mr Wooding, who is project manager with the Community Punishment Unit, said the vests would make it obvious to passers-by that the wearers were offenders making amends for their crimes.

Community Payback is officially launched today - minus the vests.

Those being set to work on schemes across Middlesbrough have been convicted of offences such as anti-social behaviour, brawling in the street and drink-driving.

Mr Wooding said each team is made up of eight offenders and every individual is asked to complete a questionnaire when their tasks are complete.

He said: "We get some very good feedback - and that feeling is they are putting something back in their local community."

Middlesbrough Council said last night it wanted townspeople to suggest further work schemes to be undertaken as part of the Community Payback project.