McCann claims book damaged Madeleine search

The mother of missing Madeleine McCann has said she is in Portugal to “stop the damage” she believes is being caused to the search for her daughter by a former local police chief.

Kate McCann was speaking after the first hearing of the family’s libel action against Goncalo Amaral who published a book making allegations about the three-year-old’s disappearance.

The McCanns have strongly denied the accusations and say the former detective’s claims have damaged the hunt for Madeleine and exacerbated the anguish suffered by her relatives.