A CAMPAIGNER who caused a massive royal security scare will tonight help launch a Southampton branch of the pressure group Fathers 4 Justice.

Jason Hatch - who scaled the walls of Buckingham Palace dressed as Batman - will be appearing with the group's founder Matt O'Connor at the Swann Inn, Totton, at 7.30pm.

The men will be launching a Southampton branch of the pressure group so that estranged fathers will no longer have to go to Portsmouth to get advice.

The meeting will also launch the Fathers 4 Justice self help group which aims to give Southampton people advice on how to fill in forms and how the family court system runs - as well as advice on all manner of subjects including the Child Support Agency.

Hampshire co-ordinator for Fathers 4 Justice, Phil Osgood, said he had received a huge amount of interest in the new local group.

He said: "This is something that the people of Southampton have been looking for. It's the newest group in the Fathers 4 Justice at the moment and so many people have enquired about it.

"The family court system itself has a high percentage of people involved in it that are depressed. It can take every penny you produce, and give no hope and young children can be left without stability.

"We are going to be offering Southampton people legal advice and help with their forms and will have speakers in from social services, police and other professional bodies to give presentations and provide more advice."

The self-help meeting is open to all including mums, dads, uncles, aunts and grandparents.

It is hoped the group will meet regularly at the same venue on the third Monday of each month.

Future meetings will feature talks and presentations by all manner of experts from child protection agencies to police and judges offering advice on how to behave in court.