DADS across Scotland will sign a giant Valentine's Day card to their children today to raise awareness of increased suicide risk among alienated fathers.

New initiative Forgotten Fathers will encourage parents to talk more about their love for their children, as they struggle to remain in their lives.

4 David Albury, Mark Loughran, Steven Mills and Nick Wolanski, members of Fathers 4 Justice, outside Parliament Credit: PA

4 Campaign launched to get fathers talking about their love for their children Credit: PA

The project has been launched by the Fathers4Justice (F4J) campaign, which aims to end the silence on the suicides of separated fathers in Scotland.

F4J say they are increasingly dealing with suicides like this, including cases like Lee McGregor, a separated dad and 31-year-old oil worker from Aberdeen who took his own life last year after losing contact with his children.

At a rally at the Scottish Parliament, fathers will gather to sign a large Valentine’s Card to all children in Scotland as a reminder of the important role a father can play in a child’s life and should continue to be able to do so after a break-up.

The event will also feature visual representations of four of Scotland’s Forgotten Fathers, from a range of ages and social groups, unable to see their children after the end of a relationship because of the failures of the family justice system.

The cost of family breakdown across the UK is £48bn a year or £1820 per taxpayer, according to Relationships Foundation.

Meanwhile Scotland has more fatherless homes than almost any other European country - one in five households are fatherless.

4 Survey shows Scots believe mothers love children more than fathers Credit: PA

The event comes as a new poll shows that Scottish people do not believe fathers love their children more than mothers.

Research published today shows that 23% of Scots believe that mothers love their children more than fathers.

4 Poll released today Credit: Fathers 4 Justice

Other key findings in the research published today include:

77% of people believe that mothers and fathers love their children equally

23% of people believe that mothers love their children more, but only 1% believe fathers love their children more

20% of men believe that women love their children more, whilst only 1% believe that men love their children more

25% of women believe that women love their children more, and less than 1% of women believe men love their children more

Younger people (18-24) are the age group most likely to think that mothers and fathers love their children equally (81%)

35% of separated / divorced people believe that women love their children more.

Matt O’Connor, founder of F4J said: “Nine men die every week die from suicide in Scotland and 71 per cent of all suicides are men. Not only is suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 across the UK, but dads are 3 times more likely to die after separation than mothers.

“While it is encouraging that 77% of Scots believe that parents love their children equally, we want that number to be 100%.

"Men must become more comfortable talking about their feelings about their children and push to play an active part in their lives following a break-up.

"Too often, fathers become forgotten in these circumstances, leading to an increased risk of alcoholism, depression and, sadly, suicide.

“We believe the court system currently disproportionately favours the mother after a break-up and we want to see parental access considered on a more equal basis. It is not right for anyone to use children as an emotional pawn or gambling chip.”

Matt founded the F4J campaign after he was denied access to his two boys, Daniel and Alexander, following a difficult divorce.

A design, marketing and PR consultant, Matt was shocked by the treatment of dads in Britain’s courts.

He added: "The poll illustrates that people's view of fathers is that dads don't love their children as much as mums do - that to me is such a pre-historic view of parenting in 21st-century Scotland.

"As it's Valentine's Day, we're trying to raise awareness about Scotland's forgotten fathers and their love for their children.

"One of the issues we've been dealing with a lot recently as part of the work we do is suicides.

"Nine men die every week from suicide in Scotland and dads are three times more likely to die after separation than mothers.

"We want MSPs to deal with this as a public-health issue and look at the role of fathers and ask why Scotland doesn't have parental equality.

"We believe the court system currently disproportionately favours the mother after a break-up and we want to see parental access considered on a more equal basis."

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