Madeleine's parents subjected to 'spiteful' internet hate campaign

The parents of Madeleine McCann have become the subject of a hate campaign on the internet.

Their local newspaper, the Leicester Mercury, has had to ban all comments on stories about the missing four-year-old after it was bombarded with "spiteful and defamatory" messages about her parents Gerry and Kate.

The paper's Internet site has received hundreds of postings, many of which call for the couple to be prosecuted over the abduction of Madeleine.

Mr and Mrs McCann have faced criticism over their decision to leave their daughter asleep in her room at their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while they dined at a nearby tapas bar.

Mr McCann, a hospital consultant, described the critical remarks as hurtful and unhelpful.

Leicester Mercury editor Nick Carter said: "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.'

Mr McCann, who is visiting the U.S. to study the work of child protection agencies there, was forced to defend the couple's decision to leave Madeleine and their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie in the apartment.

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Speaking on ABC's Good Morning America show, he said: "We were 50 yards away and could see the apartment. It's like we were sat at the end of our garden.

"The kids were sound asleep and being checked regularly. We didn't think we needed a babysitter. What we did felt perfectly reasonable at the time."

Appearing on CNN in the US, Mr McCann, 39, added: "These types of criticism, as well as being hurtful, are extremely unhelpful in the search for Madeleine.

"We have been advised our behaviour was legally well within the bounds of responsible parenting and have been assured no action will be taken.

"We were essentially performing our own baby-listening service, although we have talked of the guilt we felt at not being there when Madeleine was taken.

"What Kate and I did was at worst naive, and no-one should forget that the real criminal is the predator who has taken a completely innocent child.

"The real issue is that we should not have a constant fear of abduction of our children from their bedrooms and gardens - or streets, for that matter."

The Crown Prosecution Service has already dismissed claims that the McCanns, from Rothley, Leics, could be prosecuted for neglecting Madeleine.

Mr McCann was due to meet Britain's ambassador in Washington yesterday before returning to Portugal, where his wife remains with Sean and Amelie.