Daily MirrorMcCanns: Enough is enoughLucy Thornton In Praia Da Luz 29/09/2007
Kate and Gerry McCann
THE HUNT FOR MADELEINE SPOKESMAN PLEA OVER SLURS 'It's just one ridiculous allegation after another, each is unsourced, unsubstantiated and unnamed..'
Kate and Gerry McCann begged "enough is enough" yesterday as they fought off yet another outrageous slur.
The latest extraordinary claim in the Portuguese press is that missing daughter Madeleine was killed in her parents' holiday apartment before dinner and her body stored in a fridge.
Branding the report "total rubbish", the couple's appalled spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "It's just one utterly ridiculous allegation after allegation - unsourced, unsubstantiated and unnamed.
"For the family's sake surely it's time for this to stop. It's ludicrous.
"Each and every one of these nonsensical allegations causes real pain and hurt for Gerry and Kate.
"They make a most awful situation far worse.
"We just hope everyone can see them for what they are - ridiculous."
His comments were backed by Spanish police who fiercely denied another astonishing report which claimed they were investigating a "suspicious" trip by the couple to Huelva city.
Their denial added weight to the McCanns' belief that they are victims of a smear campaign by unnamed police sources.
Portugal's Diario newspaper alleged yesterday that Madeleine, four, was killed between 7pm and 8.30pm in her parents' apartment at Praia da Luz.
A report claimed that during this time Kate was on her own putting Madeleine and two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie to bed while Gerry played tennis.
The paper said: "There are no witnesses who saw Kate and Maddie in that fatal and mysterious hour and a half."
It added that police believe Madeleine's body may have may "passed through various locations" before being put in the boot of the couple's hired car.
Detectives are now allegedly set to search fridges in Luz.
The slur appears to implicate the couple's friends whom police reportedly accuse of a "pact of silence". Reacting to the smear, a source close to the McCann family said: "Rubbish. Have you seen the size of the fridges there? Of course they didn't stuff her in a fridge."
Of the 90 minute "window", the source added: "Kate was not in the apartment alone with Madeleine. She and Gerry had both been playing tennis. Then they put her to bed together."
Portuguese police are said believe the 39-year-old McCanns might have used their visit to Huelva on August 3 to bury Madeleine's body during a "missing" two hours.
Sources have said Spanish authorities were checking CCTV.
But Huelva Civil Guard said: "We're not investigating the McCann parents.
"We're not studying CCTV footage and we haven't been contacted by Portuguese police in relation to the visit. The reports are totally false."
Madeleine will tomorrow have been missing for 150 days. Her parents, of Rothley, Leics, remain official suspects.
