PUPILS at a Rossendale primary school have helped to create a Christmas CD in memory of murdered schoolboy Joe Geeling.

The school choir at Holcombe Brook Primary, Longsight Road, recorded songs for the Chain of Friendship CD along with four other Bury primaries.

The fund was set up soon after Joe's murder.

He was battered and stabbed to death by 14-year-old Michael Hamer, a fellow pupil at St Gabriel's RC High School, in March.

After Joe refused a sexual advance at Hamer's house, the teenager hit him with a frying pan and stabbed him with kitchen knives before using a wheelie bin to dump his body in a Bury park.

In October, Hamer was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison.

Holcombe Brook headteac-her Graham Howarth said: "For the past 18 months we have been part of a musical collaborative with the four schools.

"We have employed an independent lead music teacher, Katie Geelan, to work with each school in turn, teaching classes and working with the choirs.

"As a result, we decided we wanted to create a CD for Christmas with songs recorded by each school's choir, plus one they all sang together, which is the title track."

More than 250 children sang on the track dedicated to Joe, the music for which was written by Katie Geelan.

The five choirs also recorded two traditional Christmas songs each.

The schools decided that all proceeds from The Chain of Friendship would go to the Joe Geeling memorial fund, which raises money for research into cystic fibrosis, which 11-year-old Joe suffered from, and Booth Hall Children's Hospital, where he regularly went for treatment of the condition.

Mr Howarth said: "Last year we recorded a school concert but this is the first time we have helped produce a CD for sale, and the pupils really enjoyed it, hopefully we will repeat it next year.

"We had no hesitation in deciding to donate all the money to Joe's fund, as what happened is something that affected all schools."

The CD costs £8.50 and can be bought from all five schools: Holcombe Brook, St John with St Mark, Unsworth Primary, Sedgeley Park and East Ward Community Primary.