We’re Horrified: Madeleine McCanns Parents

We’re Horrified: Madeleine McCanns Parents, Poignant snap, taken just hours before Maddy vanished, is featured on VoucherDigg

Outrage: Kate and Gerry were “horrified” by the use of the picture
The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have been left “horrified” after a website used a treasured image of their daughter to promote discount holidays to Portugal.

The poignant snap, taken just hours before the three-year-old disappeared from her parents’ apartment in Praia da Luz five years ago, is featured on VoucherDigg in an advert boasting: £20 off: Great discount on holiday bookings.

When you click on Maddy’s image it takes you through to a page with the same image with the words ‘best value’ underneath it.

The page advertises holidays from lowcostholidays.com and urges holidaymakers: “Hurry up for time is limited. Take the ones you loved and enjoy your life.”

Sick: Another image was accompanied with the words ‘best value’ underneath it

Last night Maddy’s parents Gerry, 43, and Kate, 44, branded the use of the picture “appallingly insensitive”.

Their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, told the Daily Star: “This is an appalling use of Madeleine’s picture and whether it is a result of hacking or a mistake it must be removed immediately.

“Kate and Gerry are fully aware of this and are horrified. We understand it has been on the website for 24 hours.”

VoucherDigg could not be contacted for comment.

Lawrence Hunt, Chief Operating Officer at lowcostholidays.com, said that they had no contract with VoucherDigg to advertise their holidays and were doing all they could to contact the website to get the picture removed.

Mr Hunt added: “We discovered this vile material yesterday and immediately broke all the links to our site and contacted our lawyers.

“We apologise for any distress this may have caused.”

Last week was the fifth anniversary of Maddy’s disappearance and Kate and Gerry spoke of their renewed hope that Madeleine will be found.

Mrs McCann said an ongoing review of the case by Scotland Yard and the release of a new age-progression picture of Madeleine had left them feeling “probably as positive” as they had been for a long time.

“We are realistic. We don’t know what has happened but we know there is a very good chance that she could be alive – there is no evidence to the contrary,” Mrs McCann told presenter Lorraine Kelly on ITV’s Lorraine. (Mirror)