HAMPSHIRE model and TV presenter Heather Mills has distanced herself from speculation that she is romantically linked to Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney.

In a statement to the Daily Echo, the 31-year-old said she and her sister Fiona had been invited to lodge at Sir Paul's estate while he helped out on their charity record in a studio.

Heather, who lost a leg in an accident with a police motorbike six years ago, founded the Heather Mills Health Trust, which collects disused limbs across the UK to fit victims in war-torn countries like former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

Sir Paul has donated £150,000 to the trust, and he agreed to take part in the record, entitled Voice, which will raise money for the trust.

Heather added: ''We have met up on a number of previous occasions in many locations to discuss the production of the record and the charity's work in general.

''Paul is very keen and committed to help the Heather Mills Health Trust in every way he can.

''The trust has always relied on the finances of Heather's own personal money, so Paul's donation has made a huge difference by taking the responsibility and pressure away from Heather for the time being.''

Yesterday the model's converted luxury barn at King's Somborne, north of Romsey, was besieged by the media following a front page story in a Sunday newspaper.

It claimed Heather and Paul, who lost his wife Linda to breast cancer nearly two years ago, had been having secret dinner dates and that she stayed at his estate in East Sussex.

Heather is currently backing the Daily Echo's Make A Difference campaign to give young amputees the chance of leading a normal life through better-fitting limbs.

She was due to marry TV producer Chris Terrill earlier this year, but Heather, who co-presented The General, the daily documentary series about Southampton General Hospital, it called off.

Her record, which is being released through Coda Records, which her sister Fiona owns, has Sir Paul on backing vocals and playing guitar.

The accompanying video has been shot with powerful images, both positive and negative, of disabled people.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.