HE'S the television presenter who joins developers in their quest to breathe new life into rundown buildings.

But Homes Under The Hammer star Martin Roberts is now embarking on a mission of his own.

The property expert has written a new children's book, which aims to teach children about the importance of their mental health and who they can speak to if they are feeling upset.

Now the book, named 'Sadsville', is set to be given out to more than 21,000 school children across Hampshire.

It is part of a project by his charity, the Martin Roberts Foundation, which has been backed by children's groups and Hampshire education chiefs.

Martin, himself a father of two, said: "As a father I'm fully aware of the obligation we have as parents to give our offspring the best possible start if life and most of us do.

"However, not all children are lucky enough to enjoy the kind of childhood that my and hopefully your children will experience.

"And it is for these children that I've created my foundation, with the goal to support education and safeguarding initiatives for children and young people.

He added: "The message that Sadsville carries is that if you are sad for any reason, there is help out there."

Next month, the book will be disrupted to more than 430 primary schools across Hampshire, including ones in Southampton.

It total, the charity says more than 21,500 children across in Year Group 4 will receive their own copy, free of charge.

The Hampshire project has been sponsored by Swindon-based firm Excalibur Communications and Techs4Education, who works with many Southampton schools, while children's store The Entertainer, will help distribute the books.

The scheme has also received backing from Childline, children's' charity, the NSPCC, and Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire councils.

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: “Resources that help children to understand their feelings and support their emotional development, including those that help combat low self esteem and depression can be extremely helpful when used in combination with other educational techniques and interventions.

"Mr Robert’s ambition to raise awareness of this important issue and provide support for the NSPCC and Childline is to be commended.

"We wish him well in raising sufficient funding for his cause.”

To celebrate the project, the Martin Roberts Foundation will host a launch event at the Southampton Harbour Hotel on Thursday (28MARCH).

The event will be attended by representatives from supporting charities, local education chiefs and Martin himself.