'Hurtful stories taking attention away from Madeleine'

Madeleine McCann’s grandfather said today that the missing youngster had been forgotten because of a series of “untrue and hurtful” stories written about the family.

Saying he had never felt so helpless, Brian Healy said his four-year-old granddaughter was in danger of being overlooked.

The 68-year-old, of Allerton, Liverpool, said “a lot of people will have to hang their heads in shame” for the way the media have treated the McCanns.

He told the Liverpool Echo: “There has been so much that has been said and written, much of it untrue and hurtful, but so often it seems to me as if the only really important person in all this has been forgotten – and that’s Madeleine.

“Finding Madeleine should be at the forefront of everyone’s minds – everything else takes the attention away from this and wastes so much time.”

Mr Healy added that it was very hard to avoid the negative publicity but thanked the people of Liverpool for their support.

“We have had so many hugs from people who approach us when we’re out shopping,” he said.