UK News

Madeleine McCann parents give testimony to British hacking inquiry

Nov 23, 2011, 14:46 GMT

London - The parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann appeared Wednesday at an inquiry investigating media standards following a wide-ranging scandal in which press bodies were found to have hacked public figures' phones.

Kate and Gerry McCann said that the frequent 'speculation and misinformation' published about the case after Madeleine disappeared on a holiday in Portugal in May, 2007, had 'not been helpful' to them.

However, the pair also 'thanked the media' for publishing appeals to find the girl and for publicizing a fund that helped finance the search.

Madeleine, who was nearly four when she disappeared, is still missing.

A system should be put in place to protect ordinary people from the damage they suffer from media intrusion and untruthful reporting, said Gerry McCann.

The inquiry earlier this week heard evidence from actor Hugh Grant, who described as 'toxic' the phone hacking methods used by sections of the tabloid press in Britain.

On Thursday, it will hear from Joanne K Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books.