McCanns reunite with friends from tapas restaurant

THE parents of Madeleine McCann have met the seven friends they dined with on the day their daughter disappeared, their spokesman said yesterday.

Held at a Leicestershire hotel at the end of last month, it was the first face-to-face meeting of the group, dubbed the Tapas Nine, since the McCanns’ return to Britain.

Advisers for the Rothley couple were present, said Clarence Mitchell, but he denied the private meeting was held for the friends to compare their accounts of the day the four-year-old disappeared.

“It was uneventful as far as we are concerned and it’s not significant.

“It is the first time the nine have sat down face to face. It was really just a get-together to discuss where they are at.

“Clearly, some might face further questioning at some stage. It was not to change stories or compare notes. It was a get-together of friends who find themselves at the centre of a story.”

The party included the McCanns, Russell O’Brien and his partner Jane Tanner, Rachael and Matthew Oldfield, Fiona and David Payne, and Ms Payne’s mother Dianne Webster.

Mr Mitchell said: “The meeting was as much a show of support for Gerry and Kate. This was in no way to get their stories straight.

“This is the age of email and phone. They could have done that a long time ago.”

The nine had become friends through professional connections.

All members of the group strenuously deny any involvement in the little girl’s disappearance and say they are happy to co-operate with detectives.