A NORTH-EAST football club is helping to promote an anti-bulling campaign.

Manager Mick McCarthy has officially launched the sale of Sunderland Football Club's Lighting up Lives wristbands to highlight the initiative.

Since the introduction of the club foundation's anti-bullying programme, Tackle It, when the team wore the wristbands, while playing against Cardiff City on February 26, it has been inundated with requests for the red bands. They went on sale from the the club shop and the ticket office. They will also be on sale outside the Stadium of Light on Sunday, May 8, when the Black Cats play Stoke City.

They will be sold in adult and child sizes at £1 each, with all proceeds going to SAFC Foundation.

Foundation director Lesley Spuhler said: "The wristbands are seen as fashion accessories so we are expecting a huge demand for them."