Hillsborough single hits top spot (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Hillsborough single hits top spot

7:02pm Sunday 23rd December 2012 in National Entertainment News © Press Association 2013

The Hillsborough disaster tribute single has topped the charts to become the 2012 Christmas number one.

The Justice Collective's version of He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother sold more than 269,000 copies, which saw it comfortably outsell X Factor winner James Arthur's debut single Impossible by 45,000, according to figures from the Official Charts Company.

The reworking of the Hollies 1969 hit took the festive top spot to cap a memorable week for campaigners, friends and family of the 96 victims of the disaster at Sheffield Wednesday's ground during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on April 15, 1989.

A new police investigation into their deaths was announced by Home Secretary Theresa May and the High Court quashed accidental death verdicts recorded by the original inquest into the tragedy at Sheffield Wednesday's ground. A new inquest will now be held.

Sir Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Mel C, Beverley Knight, Rebecca Ferguson, Paloma Faith and Frankie Goes to Hollywood singer Holly Johnson are among the artists who featured on the Justice Collective song.

With He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother topping the charts, members of the supergroup now account for almost 20 per cent of all Christmas number one singles, with 12 out of 61 since the charts began, according to the OCC.

Scream And Shout by Will.i.am featuring Britney Spears, Stay by Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko and Locked Out Of Heaven by Bruno Mars make up the rest of the festive top five.

East London market trader Muhammad Shahid Nazir, also known as One Pound Fish Man, broke into the top 40 with the strength of his market patter. The video of his One Pound Fish song has been watched more than 6.5 million times on YouTube and charted at 29.

Robbie Williams' Different only reached 64, after the Take That star asked fans to buy the Hillsborough tribute instead of his single when he realised release dates would clash.