Rick to do charity song for missing children

The former Newton-le-Willows crooner is teaming up with the Missing People Choir to raise funds for their missing child campaign. Other singers include Lesley Garrett, talent show winner Jodie Prenger, Chesney Hawkes, former X-Factor group G4 and star of the musical Wicked, Kerry Ellis.

Parents and loved ones involved in the single include the mother of schoolgirl Alice Gross who was missing for a month before she was found murdered and Nicki Durbin, whose son Luke went missing 10 years ago this month.

The track, called I Hope, will raise awareness of some of the UK’s missing children including Madeleine McCann and Ben Needham. Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007 and 21-month-old Ben vanished from the Greek island of Kos in July 1991.

The song highlights the heartbreak facing families with missing loved ones and the often agonising hope of seeing them again.

Ms Durbin said: “It would be truly wonderful for families like mine if the public would put their support behind this single and show the world that Luke and all these missing children are not forgotten.”

I Hope will be released on Friday May 20 to mark International Missing Children’s Day on May 25 with all profits going to the charity Missing People’s Find Every Child campaign.