LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A tribute song to the victims of
the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster has taken the
number one spot on Britain's Christmas pop chart.
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", a version of the ballad
that was a worldwide hit for The Hollies, went to the top of the
chart in its first week of release.
Money raised by the single will go to the families of the 96
Liverpool soccer fans killed in Britain's worst sporting
disaster in Sheffield, northern England.
The song features performances by artists including Paul
McCartney, Robbie Williams, the Clash's Mick Jones and Peter
Hooton of The Farm. They came together under the name The
Justice Collective.
The Official Charts Company, which compiles the weekly
rundown, said on Sunday that the song beat a strong challenge
from James Arthur, a newcomer who won this year's "The
X-Factor", a music talent show. His single "Impossible" was last
week's number one.
Relatives of those killed at Hillsborough have campaigned
for 23 years to overturn official accounts of what caused the
deaths. Police had blamed rowdy, drunken fans for contributing
to the crush. Many of the victims were children and teenagers.
A government-backed inquiry concluded in September that
police had smeared supporters to cover up their failings, helped
by inaccurate media coverage.
Britain's High Court quashed the original "accidental death"
inquest verdicts on Dec. 19 and ordered a new investigation. The
government also set up a new police inquiry.