FORMER Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell has penned a deeply personal poem, detailing his nervous breakdown, for a Bovington Middle School charity book.

Tony Blair’s outspoken director of communications made no secret of the breakdown he suffered when he was 29 years old.

His poem, called When the Mind Cracks, was published alongside contributors such as world famous fantasy author Terry Pratchett and television presenter Robert Llewellyn.

The collection, called School of Poetry and launched at Bovington’s Tank Museum, includes 110 poems by the middle school’s pupils, aged 9-13 years.

It was developed to raise funds for the school’s English department and the forces charity Help for Heroes.

Other contributors included school staff and comedian Tony Hawks.

Children came up with subjects ranging from their school to the Japanese tsunami.

Middle school English head Karen Donaldson said: “The project has been such an enlightening experience. One of the greatest influences in our school is the military. Children have very conflicting emotions of pride, fear and loneliness during their fathers’ deployment, so we have given them a tremendous vehicle to express themselves.

“Of course, we were absolutely delighted to have support from such big literary names like Terry Pratchett, who has only ever written two poems in his life, one of which has been given to us.”

South Dorset MP Richard Drax and Bovington’s Armour Centre Comm-ander Colonel David Swann both attended the book launch.

Pupil Erin McFarlane, who is one of the youngsters to have her poem published, has dyslexia.

She said: “It is very exciting to see my poem in print.

“I want to show other children with learning difficulties that anything is possible if you try hard enough.”

A spokesman said: “Guest contributors were more than happy to be involved, such as the very personal contribution from Alastair Campbell, with his particularly candid poem, When The Mind Cracks, reflecting his experience of his psychological breakdown.”

The book is available via lulu.com