UK website block after 'spiteful' McCann comments

A newspaper in the UK has banned visitors to its website from commenting on stories about missing Madeleine McCann after it was bombarded with “spiteful and defamatory” comments about her parents.

The Leicester Mercury has received hundreds of online messages, many of which call for Gerry and Kate McCann to be prosecuted over the abduction of their four-year-old daughter.

The couple, from Rothley in Leicestershire, have faced criticism over their decision to leave Madeleine asleep in her room at their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while they dined at a nearby Tapas bar.

Speaking at the weekend, Mr McCann described the critical remarks as “hurtful” and “unhelpful”.

Leicester Mercury editor Nick Carter said: “We encourage feedback to our website, but we have to monitor what is said to make sure people are not posting comments that might be libellous, breach the law in any way or cause gratuitous offence.

“A tiny minority of people seem to want to say nasty, spiteful and defamatory things about the McCann family. They are bombarding our site, and we had no choice but to block comment entirely on reports about the family.”

The McCanns have mounted a high-profile campaign to find Madeleine since she went missing on May 3.

Mr McCann, a hospital consultant, was due to meet Britain’s ambassador in Washington today before returning to Portugal.

The appointment wraps up a four-day fact-finding mission to the United States, which has included meetings with the US Attorney General and experts on child abduction.

Mrs McCann has remained in Portugal with the couple’s two-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie.