The Manchester Evening News has stepped in to try to help a song dedicated to a terminally-ill girl get to number one.

Opera star Russell Watson has recorded a single for Kirsty Howard, who was born with a rare heart defect and fronts the £5m campaign for Francis House Children’s Hospice in Didsbury.

All the proceeds from the single, Nothing Sacred, will go to the charity.

But two Manchester radio stations, Key 103 and Galaxy 102, have said the song does not fit in with their profile so will not be placed on their playlists – which may hamper its chances of reaching number one as fewer people will hear the song.

So to boost exposure of the charity single the MEN has now set up a special telephone hotline, enabling people to call and hear the single, which is released next Monday.

The paper has said it will not profit from the line, and that almost half the cost of every call will be donated to the fund.

Russell said: “It’s fantastic that the MEN has done this to support the appeal.”