The "missionary" millionaire behind a £25 million Christian city academy to be built in Solihull plans to build a further two similar schools in the West Midlands.

Bob Edmiston (pictured), founder of the evangelical charity Christian Vision, believes the schools will help to steer youngsters away from trouble by showing them a better way to behave.

The car import entrepreneur is forking out £2 million of his own money to sponsor Grace Academy, which is due to open in Chelmsley Wood in September 2006 and will replace Whitesmore School.

He revealed he has had talks with other regional authorities about making a similar investment in a further two schools.

"I have stated I am willing to sponsor three academies and we are in discussions with another authority at the moment," he said.

"What I am trying to do is locate them geographically not too far from here so there can be transference of ideas, staff and economies of scale."

Mr Edmiston's Midland-based IM Group has made him one of the richest men in the country with a personal fortune of between £300 million and £400 million.

A committed Christian since the age of 17, he believes giving children a sense of spirituality and Christian awareness will make them better citizens. But he denied he was creating faith schools or that they would attempt to convert youngsters to Christianity.

"The school won't be a faith school in that sense," he said.

"It will be a school that has a Christian ethos built on the values of truth, honesty and treating others the way you would expect them to treat you. The sort of values that everyone would subscribe to but that perhaps have slipped away in recent years.

"We have to try and address behaviour among youngsters in lots of different ways. Having the right ethos and climate in school is just one way."

Grace Academy will also have a business emphasis, drawing on Mr Edmiston's entrepreneurial success.

City Academies represent the Government's flagship programme of raising standards in deprived areas.

Ministers want to see the number grow from fewer than 20 now to 200 by the end of the decade.

They involve a local business, charity, or other organisation acting as sponsor providing financial assistance and expertise with the Government providing the bulk of the cost.

In return, sponsors get to sit on the school's governing body and have a say in its day-to-day running and management.

Christian groups look set to gain a strong presence in the new city academies. Shortly after the Government announced its expansion programme Christian charity the Oasis Trust set up an "academies' consultancy" to help other believers to sponsor the new secondaries.