‘Tapas Seven’ win hefty Madeleine libel payout

THE friends known as the “Tapas Seven” who were on holiday with Kate and Gerry McCann when daughter Madeleine vanished have accepted £375,000 (€482,000) libel damages from Express Newspapers.

The damages — which will be donated to the Find Madeleine Fund — relate to articles in the Daily Express, the Sunday Express and the Daily Star between July and December last year.

Solicitor-advocate Adam Tudor told Mr Justice Eady at London’s High Court yesterday that they suggested some of the seven — particularly Dr Russell O’Brien — had been identified as potential suspects by the Portuguese authorities, and also suggested the friends had covered up the true facts and misled authorities.