Charity single raises €1.25m to fight ebola in just minutes

Band Aid organiser Bob Geldof said sales had "gone manic" as the reworked version of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ shot straight to number one on the iTunes singles chart.

Stars including One Direction, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and singer Ellie Goulding were among the figures who gathered to record a version of the track in response to the ebola crisis threatening west Africa.

Geldof said that the volume of pre-orders for the track ensured it had raised in excess of £1m (€1.25m) within minutes of the song being premiered on TV on Sunday night.