Girls in Bradford are backing Pop Rivals star Kimberley Walsh by snapping up copies of her new single.

Staff at HMV on Broadway said the battle of the sexes was swinging Girls Aloud's way after female fans showed solidarity with the Allerton singer.

And Kimberley's mum Diane said she had received a text message from her daughter, who is keen to know the reaction of her home city.

"It is just so exciting. We are still having to pinch ourselves sometimes and trying to carry on as normal while all this is going on," she said. "The song deserves to be number one. It's a good song and the video is great."

Mrs Walsh, a teacher at Lidget Green Primary School, said pupils were also popping along to record shops to buy Sound of the Underground.

Girls Aloud are battling it out with boy band One True Voice from TV's Postars: The Rivals in the race to be the Christmas number one. Matt Sidwell, assistant manager at HMV on Bradford, said the girl band had edged ahead midweek and nationally the girls are roughly 8,000 copies out in front.

"It is definitely more girls buying the single and showing support for Kimberley," he said. "It is outselling the boys by about three to two at the moment in this store, probably because of the local interest but also because girls have two CDs - one with mixes on - as well as a cassette."

He said One True Voice's song Sacred Trust was typical Pete Waterman.

"The girls' single has definitely got a bit more of an edge to it, it's more punchy and original. I've not bought it yet but I might do so they are number one."

Sales so far this week shows that both acts could sell more than 200,000 copies of their debut singles in the race for Christmas number one.

Andy Taylor, betting operations manager at bookies John Wood on Westgate, said Girls Aloud were now 1-3 on to win the coveted slot.

He said: "It is apparently outselling the boys by two to one. It went favourite on Monday and it has just been backed and backed. Blue fans bought their single last week so it looks a certainty.

"We usually take about £500 on this market but we've taken a bit more with the interest in Kimberley so maybe her relatives are having a flutter."

Rachael Ockerby, administrator at Dance Machine in Shipley, said they were hoping former pupil Kimberley would fit in a visit over Christmas.

"We have 400 pupils and I would say 99 per cent of them have bought the single," she said. "They love it because its a funky, upbeat kind of song and they are already doing dance routines to it."

Pop Idol contender Danny Tetley, of Shipley, who releases his debut single in March, said: "I spoke to Kimberley yesterday and I think she's confident. She said she's not keen on the boys' single and I think its really bland and boring."