You'll Never Walk Alone re-enters top 40

The song was originally a number one for Gerry And The Pacemakers in October 1963

Liverpool FC anthem You'll Never Walk Alone has re-entered the top 40, after the publication of a damning report into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Supporters launched a campaign to get the Gerry And The Pacemakers song back in the chart this week, helping it to number 12 in the Official Chart.

Singer Gerry Marsden has said he will donate the proceeds to charity.

Elsewhere in the charts, The Script and The xx scored the number one single and album respectively.

The Script were narrowly prevented from topping both charts. The xx sold just 5,000 more copies of their album, Coexist, than the Irish band's new release, called #3.

It is the first number one for The xx, who won the Mercury Prize for their moody, electronic debut in 2010.

'Positive message'

Ninety-six people died at Sheffield's Hillsborough stadium, which was hosting an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, in 1989.

This week's independent report into the disaster showed that 164 police statements about the tragedy were amended, with 116 of those substantially changed to remove or alter "unfavourable" comments regarding the policing of the match.

It also showed the lives of 41 of the 96 victims could potentially have been saved if the response of the emergency services had been swifter.

The phrase You'll Never Walk Alone has been adopted by fans wishing to mark the 1989 tragedy

Following the report, Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotheram started a campaign to get You'll Never Walk Alone into the charts.

He tweeted: "People have asked what they can do now. If you download You'll Never Walk Alone, it will send a message to the rest of the country!"

He later told the Liverpool Echo: "People just started buying the record - it was in the top 20 within a few hours.

"It's just crazy the way it's spread online. I spoke with Gerry and he told me any proceeds he gets from the sales he will be donating to the Hillsborough charities."

"We need to keep the momentum going and if we could get You'll Never Walk Alone to No 1 this would send a really positive message," he added.

According to the Official Charts Company, the song has sold 28,000 copies in just 48 hours.

Christmas onslaught

In all, this week's singles chart saw a total of nine new entries.

The highest was 2011 X Factor contestant Amelia Lily, whose debut single You Bring Me Joy charted at number two.

The Script's single was kept off the number one spot by Ne-Yo last week

The song, written by Girls Aloud production team Xenomania, had been poised for the top slot during the week, but it was toppled at the last minute by The Script's Hall Of Fame - which features rapper will.i.am.

X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos, meanwhile, saw her second solo single Live It Up enter the charts at 11.

The placing is sure to be seen as a disappointment for the 24-year-old after her first single, Young, went to number one in May.

Comeback singles from chart heavyweights Mumford and Sons, The Killers and Kanye West all made their debut this week, heralding the onset of the Christmas album rush.

Consequently, the album chart faced a big shake-up, with five new entries in the top 10 alone.

The xx and The Script were at numbers one and two respectively, closely followed by Bob Dylan's 35th studio album, Tempest.

Joe McElderry was at eight with Here's What I Believe, while the Pet Shop Boys' Elysium landed at number nine.

Coldplay, meanwhile, saw their recent album Mylo Xyloto jump from 20 to number four after their extended performance at last week's Paralympic closing ceremony.