By Danielle NuttallIT is as much a part of Christmas as stuffing the turkey, decorating the tree and opening your presents.The Christmas single is the most eagerly-fought prize in the music industry – and the East Anglian Daily Times launches today a campaign to put Suffolk on top of the charts.

By Danielle Nuttall

IT is as much a part of Christmas as stuffing the turkey, decorating the tree and opening your presents.

The Christmas single is the most eagerly-fought prize in the music industry – and the East Anglian Daily Times launches today a campaign to put Suffolk on top of the charts.

Lowestoft band The Darkness release their Christmas single today and the EADT, along with BBC Radio Suffolk, is urging the Suffolk public to help make their record the festive number one.

Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) is the bookies' second favourite, behind the Pop Idol contestants cover version of the John Lennon classic, Happy Xmas (War Is Over).

But there are almost 700,000 people in Suffolk and if every household buys a copy of The Darkness record, it should be enough to put the Lowestoft rockers on top spot – last year Sound of the Underground by Girls Aloud sold 213,000 copies to be the Christmas number one.

EADT editor and self-confessed pop and rock "anorak", Terry Hunt, said: "Suffolk deserves to have a number one hit and The Darkness represent our best-ever chance to do it. Let's all go out and buy the single, so for once we can have a proper band at number one for Christmas."

BBC Radio Suffolk breakfast show presenter, Mark Murphy, added: "It would be really great to see them get to the top, at last we could have a genuine Suffolk number one.

"We'll be playing it every day this week on my BBC Radio Suffolk breakfast show and I'll be doing my bit by popping out to buy it. If you haven't heard it yet, I'll be spinning it on the show this morning at 8.20am.

"If Mr Blobby, Renee and Renato, Bob the Builder and the St Winifred's School Choir can make it, surely The Darkness can too? Although I see Basil Brush is one of the favourites this year, so anything could happen."

Veteran Radio One DJ John Peel, who lives near Stowmarket, said: "If it gets to number one, that would be fine. They are not one of my favourite bands, but I quite enjoy their music and I am very pleased that they have done so well."

The Christmas One was once the preserve of classic pop record, such as Merry Xmas Everyone by Slade and Bohmenian Rhapsody by Queen, but in the past few years has become dominated by novelty songs, cover versions and manufactured acts.

However, a new survey has shown music lovers are fed-up with these and are desperate for a "real" music festive number one than a reality show-generated record.

More than 70% of those polled by Virgin Radio said they did not want a manufactured pop song to be top of the charts on Sunday.

The Darkness – former Kirkley High School brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins, their old schoolfriend Ed Graham and Frankie Poullain – have been a fresh breath on the music scene this year with their glam rock songs, outlandish costumes and stunning live shows.

After the chart-topping debut album, Permission To Land, and number two single, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, the band deserve to replace Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne at the top of the charts and

bring the Christmas number one home to Suffolk.

danielle.nuttall@eadt.co.uk