SHOPS across Merseyside are preparing for a rush at the tills as the Justice Collective’s reworking of He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother goes on sale on Monday.

The single is now the bookies’ odds-on favourite for Christmas number one.

Gennaro Castaldo, from HMV in Liverpool One, said: “We're seeing huge demand for the single, not just in Liverpool – where there is naturally massive interest – but around the country at other HMV stores as well, while right now online at hmv.com, He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother is the number one most pre-ordered title. It’s ahead of the likes of X-Factor and Rihanna, which has to be great news.”

The shop has ordered more than 12,000 copies of the CD – one of the highest totals it has ever stocked.

“We're all doing our best to back the single to help get to number one in the Christmas charts and then hopefully stay there for a few weeks,” said Mr Castaldo.

“We really need the Liverpool public to get behind us and the single and to buy as many copies as they can – not just to raise the money which is needed for the campaign, but, just as importantly, to keep building profile and awareness nationally.”

The song is a reworking of the Hollies hit from 1969.

Tony Hicks, guitarist and singer with The Hollies, said: “I found the song in a publisher’s office in 1969. I knew it was something special right from the start. Now we are keeping our fingers crossed the Justice Collective recording goes straight to number one.

“I had the pleasure of visiting the studio while recording was taking place, and even laying down a bottom harmony. We have taken the song to number one twice, and nothing would please me more than to see it get there again.”

The single has seen Liverpool-born producer Guy Chambers, whose father Colin was the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s principal flute player, reunited with the orchestra.

Chief conductor Vasily Petrenko and the string section recorded sections of the single from Parr Street Studios.

Mr Petrenko said: “The orchestra and I are very proud to be part of this fantastic effort by so many artists to support the Hillsborough families in their campaign for justice. It’s a very powerful song and one that’s familiar to many people, so I think Guy and everyone involved in the single have done a wonderful job with this new and very moving interpretation.”

The single is available in the shops from Monday and the download can still be pre-ordered by texting the word Justice to 80010.