A STUDENT who spent a year at her dying boyfriend's bedside has had a song dedicated to her vigil.

Phillippa Robinson took a year out from her studies to care for her boyfriend, James Skillington, after he was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Now, Mike Craft, the former lead singer with 1970s' chart-toppers Smokie, has released a song about the pair's lasting love.

Phillippa, 22, met James at Newcastle University in 1999, but in July 2001 he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.

Despite a year of intense medical treatment, he passed away on August 1 last year, aged 22.

Phillippa took a year away from her course to care for James - often sleeping on a chair in hospital.

Now a song, Forever In My Heart, is being sold to raise money for the James Skillington Challenge for Leukaemia, a charity founded by James's mother.

It was written by Tom Balaam, a teacher who lives near Phillippa's parents in Salt-aire, West Yorkshire, and sung by Mike Craft of Smokie, the group best known for hit single, Living Next Door To Alice.

James's mother, Susan Skillington, said: "James loved Phillippa so much and we just took her into our hearts. It was easy to do so.

"She was utterly devoted to him and stayed with us for about 14 months in the end."

The song was only intended as a gift for Phillippa, but went on sale and has already made more than £1,300.

Mrs Skillington and four of her friends are doing a 900-mile fundraising walk from John O'Groats to Lands End in September.

They have deliberately added 50 miles to the route so they can walk through Newcastle University and the grounds of the Hancock Museum, in Newcastle, where a tree was planted in memory of James.