McCanns ‘exasperated’ over delay in libel case

The parents of Madeleine McCann have branded the latest delay in their libel case against former Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral as a "blatant and cynical" attempt to hold up the trial after he sacked his legal team.

Kate and Gerry McCann were left furious after the former detective delayed the case by making a last-minute application to remove powers from his lawyer on the day they were due to deliver personal statements about the effect allegations in his book had had on them.

Mr and Mrs McCann had travelled to Lisbon on what was due to be the last day in the trial at Lisbon’s Palace of Justice, but will now have to return on July 8 after Mr Amaral’s 11th-hour application prompted the latest delay in the long-running case.