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The owner of Timpson, the shoe repairs, key cutting and locksmith company, has backed Dominic Raab's call for low-level criminal offenders to be used to address the country's shortage of workers.

Sir John Timpson, who heads up the Wythenshawe-headquartered business, made the comments after the Justice Secretary told The Spectator those given community sentences could help with the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's lack of HGV drivers amid concerns about fuel transportation.

Sir John, whose company began recruiting ex-prisoners 20 years ago, backed Mr Raab's suggestion in the hope it might signal a "permanent shift" in society, reports the PA news agency.

READ MORE: Timpson steps into the red as pandemic ruins plans for record year

"If this represents a permanent shift in attitude it will significantly reduce the number of prisoners who reoffend and will cut the vast cost of our prosecution and prison service," Sir John wrote in The Times.

The businessman was, however, realistic about staffing possibilities, saying the "current lack of skills will not be solved overnight by HR managers tripping around the prison estate. There are some 85,000 people in prison and most won't be available for work any time soon".

Sir John advocated a "much simpler" and potentially more permanent solution, as he noted ex-prisoners were only able to gain employment with most companies by lying on their application form.

"If employers think ex-cons can help with the current crisis, and beyond, they should scrap for good their insistence on a clean criminal record," he wrote.