Band Aid organiser Bob Geldof said sales had "gone manic" as the reworked version of Do They Know It's Christmas?

became available for the first time yesterday.

Stars including One Direction, Coldplay's Chris Martin and singer Ellie Goulding were among the figures who gathered to record a new 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 £1 million within minutes of the song being premiered on TV last night.

Chancellor George Osborne has agreed to waive VAT on the single's sales, and iTunes said it is waiving its fees.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Geldof said: "It's gone manic. That's the digital age. We promoted the single on X Factor, Simon Cowell gave us five minutes of the show last night. Within four or five minutes of leaving the show we had a million quid. That's extraordinary. From what we're seeing now from iTunes it's gone bonkers. The pre-orders were ridiculous."

Further international versions are also to be recorded.