MUSICIAN Jo Wells today vowed to fight her way back to the top of the pop music world after being awarded £150,000 agreed damages following the Marchioness river disaster.

Jo, aged 38, from Salford, nearly died when she was submerged in the river Thames for three minutes when the pleasure cruiser collided with the dredger Bowbelle.

Fifty-one people died in the disaster, including her Manchester-born cousin Karen Jarvis.

Jo — who plays the saxophone — said the trauma had wrecked her career.

After the hearing, she said that she was determined to regain the professionalism that earned her the admiration of pop music greats like The Who's Pete Townshend and Jimmy Somerville of the Communards.

She said: "All I have to do is to get my form back — that's been the big problem all along.

"It's a bit like playing football — I want to be the best and I will be the best again once I can start to play."

Damages: Saxophonist Jo Wells