A project in Madeira Walk, Ramsgate, is one of several around Thanet that offenders on Community Payback have been involved in.

The KM Group has teamed up with Thanet Community Safety Partnership to reduce the fear of crime and highlight the ways that criminals are being punished. In our series of Summer Justice special reports, Martin Jefferies reports on how Community Payback is improving the Isle.

A matter of months ago, many Ramsgate residents would have been scared to speak to a group of lads loitering in a park off Madeira Walk.

But as they jump out of a minibus, don their bright orange Community Payback jackets and power up their garden tools, a small group gathers, intrigued by Thanet's latest crime fighting initiative.

They chat to the volunteers - criminals who have been sentenced to between 40 and 300 hours unpaid work by local magistrates - and meet officials who explain how this type of punishment works.

"It's a far more constructive use of their time," said one passer-by. "Small projects like this make a big difference," added another.

Danny Ward, a Community Payback supervisor with Kent Probation, the organisation that administers the work, thinks the overwhelming majority of residents support the idea.

He explained: "Local people are constantly stopping and congratulating the guys on the work they are doing for Thanet and the community.

"It's also rewarding for me to see them develop as individuals. It's a great way for them to give something back to society."

Community Payback is an innovative form of retribution, which allows local people to have their say on how criminals should make amends for the harm they have caused.

Other parts of Thanet to benefit from the payback programme include the graveyard at St Peter's Church, neigbourhoods in Dane Valley and Newington and parks in Cliftonville and Margate.

Around the UK, more than 55,000 criminals contribute to the scheme every year, carrying out some six million hours of hard, physical labour.

Louise Casey, the government's crime and justice advisor, said: "Schemes like this give local people confidence that the system is on their side and that punishment can be tough. They might then be more likely to report crimes and help the police bring more offenders to justice."

Importantly, many offenders sentenced to Community Payback stints say they will think twice about reoffending. Others say the work has opened up new opportunities, such as extra training or further education.

Mr Ward added: "Plenty of people we work with take a lot from the programme. We help them sign up for training courses and teach them right from wrong.

"Many of them haven't been told 'well done' in the whole of their lives. We make sure we congratulate them when they do a good job and they take great pride from that. They actually enjoy coming to work."