Kent Regional Newspapers is re-launching all seven of its free Adscene newspapers.

The new-look papers will be published from Monday as part of a complete design and content overhaul for the Trinity Mirror titles.

KRN publishes seven free Adscenes in Kent – in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone and Dover, Maidstone, Medway, Sittingbourne and Thanet.

Adscene was one of the pioneers of free newspapers when it was launched 30 years ago.

Editor-in-chief Lesley Finlay has spent six weeks with editors completely revamping the papers.

She said: “We have thrown out all the pages and started afresh. We have adopted a consistent design for all seven editions and introduced a clearer definition of content for editorial. We want more exclusive stories with strong human interest elements to make all the papers more welcoming.”

Common design for page furniture, including mastheads, promotion panels, by-lines, picture captions and headlines has been introduced and advertising ratios for pages one, two, three and five have been reduced to allow more space for editorial.

There will be more vox pops, exclusive letters and more leisure coverage in a new county-wide Relax section.

Publishing director Peter Edwards said: “In the past two years ago we have given face-lifts to our Adscene editions in Ashford, Canterbury and Maidstone, but this time all seven publications will benefit from extensive re-designs that will give readers excellent free community newspapers and provide advertisers with a great environment in which to be seen.

“This will ensure our free papers are top quality for readers so advertisers will get maximum coverage for their money.”

Advertising director Kay Johnson has revised and revitalised the classified advertising section not only across the Adscenes – but also across all of the group’s paid-for titles to coincide with the re-launch.

KRN is also investing heavily in an “intelligence-led” re-evaluation of its free distribution system for the Adscene papers.

The Adscene relaunch follows the success of the company’s new-look paid-for Medway Standard, which was relaunched on March 21 – a move that led to large circulation rises and increases in advertising market share.