Entertainment group Chorion today said it was planning to buy the business behind the Mr Men for £28 million.

The London-based group said it was proposing to acquire The Hargreaves Organisation and Mister Films, which together own the rights to the Mr Men.

The purchase means characters such as Mr Happy, Mr Tickle and Little Miss Naughty will join the Chorion stable, which already includes Noddy, Big Ears and the Famous Five.

Chorion said it was planning "a complete reinvigoration and internationalisation" of the Mr Men.

The first Mr Men book by Roger Hargreaves appeared in 1971 and the first TV series based on the characters, narrated by the late Arthur Lowe, was produced in 1975.

Son Adam, who lives in Mid Sussex, took over writing the popular children's books after his father's death in 1988 and alongside sister Amelia Beddoe has run the Mr Men company for the last 15 years from a farm-based office near Tunbridge Wells.

More than 100 million of the books are thought to have been sold worldwide and there are now 46 Mr Men and 33 Little Miss characters.

Chorion also said today that it was planning to raise £16.5 million through a share placing to expand its children's business.

It said it would use the cash to fund the production of a second Enid Blyton pre-school character and to fund the development of more of the group's children's properties including The Famous Five and Amelia Jane.

Chairman Waheed Alli said the deal and the placing would transform the scale, range and ambition of the company.

"Mr Men will be a valuable addition to Noddy and others in our portfolio of classic brands," he said.

"The successful placing will accelerate the expansion of our existing brands in the pre-school and kids' markets, making Chorion a significant player in the children's business."

Friday April 30, 2004