THE late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, gave his permission for a group of Merseyside performers to release Heal The World to support the James Bulger Red Balloon Centre Appeal.

Money raised from the single will go towards building a new school for bullied children in Liverpool, which will be named after murdered toddler James Bulger.

James’s mother, Denise Fergus, said the singer was aware of her two-year-old son and sent a personal message and flowers to the family after James’s death.

The 42-year-old, from Kirkby, said: “He was aware of James as he sent a personal message to me with a large basket of flowers.

“He wrote a couple of lines for James and he named it Child of Innocence. It touched my heart.

“We played Michael’s song at James’s funeral.

“I’ve listened to Heal The World over and over again, and it gave me such a buzz when we found out we could release it to raise money for the James Bulger House.”

Denise said sales of the CD are important because the single will help improve the lives of children in Liverpool.

She said: “I do feel positive with this single, as it means a lot to me.

“The words in the song are very touching.

“I feel the world does need healing with children committing crimes. It is very upsetting the way the world is at the moment, bullying is going on everywhere.”

The James Bulger Red Balloon learner centre will help bullied children who cannot attend mainstream school and to give them a chance to carry on their education.