Hillsborough charity single tops British chart

[December 26, 2012]  LONDON (AP) -- A charity single devoted to the victims of Britain's worst-ever sporting disaster has topped the U.K. singles chart to become a Christmas No. 1.

The Official Charts Company said Sunday that The Justice Collective's version of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," sold nearly 270,000 copies, beating out a debut single by music talent show winner James Arthur. Members of the collective, who include ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and former Spice Girl Mel C, are raising money for the families of those who died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which saw 96 Liverpool fans crushed to death at Sheffield Wednesday's ground. Many authorities blamed the fans for the crush, but years of campaigning from the families eventually led to an inquiry which held police and emergency services responsible. [Associated Press] Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.