The ‘Mean Girls’ actress – who was sentenced to 120 days in prison and 480 hours of community service last week for breaching the terms of her probation after allegedly stealing a $2,200 necklace from an upmarket jewelers – has one week to enrol in the programme at the Los Angeles County morgue, in which she must serve 120 hours with the coroner, doing maintenance and janitorial work in areas where dead bodies are a common sight.

Assistant Chief Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County Coroner told the New York Daily News newspaper: "She will empty trash, vacuum, clean restrooms. She won't be in the autopsy area. However, there will be some exposure to bodies. She'll see them but won't touch them."

Along with the morgue service, Lindsay – who completed a shorter drink-driving program at the morgue as part of her original sentence for driving under the influence (DUI) in 2007 - must also undergo 360 hours at the Downtown Women's Center.

The 24-year-old star was sentenced to 120 days in jail on Friday, but her lawyer Shawn Chapman appealed against the ruling, allowing Lindsay to leave the Lynwood Correctional Facility to return to her Venice Beach home after her $75,000 bail was paid.

However, her community service was not postponed.

She is now set to return to court on May 11 for a pre-trial hearing in her misdemeanor case, with the actual trial planned for June 3.