TWO staff members from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) have joined colleagues across the country to compete for the number 1 Christmas single.

Support staff Mandy Harris and Alexandra Litwinski have joined service personnel to record a cover of Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas' in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity and The Band Aid Charity Trust.

Known as The Fire Tones, the supergroup was formed after Welshpool firefighter Chris Birdsell-Jones came up with the idea.

He then approached the Band Aid Charity Trust for the green light and called for support from other fire and rescue services across the UK.

CAD operator at MFRS Alex said: “Being a part of The Fire Tones and recording our very own version of this Band Aid classic has been an absolutely incredible experience.

"It would be absolutely amazing if we could get to Number One but the most important thing is to raise the profile of The Fire Fighters Charity and to raise as much money as possible for such a worthwhile cause.”

Available to buy on iTunes, Spotify and Amazon Music, the single is already one of the bookies favourites to take the Christmas number one spot.

Around 40 fire and rescue service staff from across the country descended on the BIMM Music college in Birmingham and managed to record the hit track during a 12-hour session - under the watchful eye of music producer Steve Osborne and vocal arranger Louise Warren.

Mandy Harris, community safety administration manager at MFRS told the Globe: “Every penny raised from every single downloaded, streamed or sold will help to fund valuable services.

"If we can make a difference to someone’s life through the release of this single, then we will have achieved what Chris set out to do. Making it to Christmas Number One would be an added bonus.”

The Fire Fighters Charity support programmes include rehabilitation, recuperation, psychological and nursing across three centres. It costs more than £8 million a year with no regular government funding.

All proceeds from the single will be split evenly between The Fire Fighters Charity and The Band Aid Trust.