Criticism After Madeline McCann Campaign Account Closed On Twitter

6 October 2015, 10:32 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The decision by Kate and Gerry McCann, from Leicestershire, to shut down their Twitter account because of vicious online abuse has been criticised by the mother of snatched toddler Ben Needham.

Tension has been building between the two missing persons campaigns in recent weeks, after Kerry Needham, whose son Ben vanished 24 years ago in Greece, questioned the huge sum of police money spent on the search for missing Madeleine McCann.

The official Find Madeleine Campaign group, endorsed by the McCanns, said it has experienced a spike in abuse over the past few weeks and reportedly moved to block Twitter accounts supported by the Ben Needham Campaign.

Ms Needham told the Daily Mirror: ``It feels like a personal attack on me. It is deeply, deeply hurtful.

``I have myself had massive amounts of slanderous abuse from supporters of the McCann campaign in the past but I have never taken that personally.''

She added: ``I have never criticised the McCann family. I have only ever criticised the authorities for the way the two cases have been handled so differently.''

The Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page said the decision had been taken by parents Mr and Mrs McCann following incessant online abuse which is hampering the search effort.

A statement said: ``After talking with Kate and Gerry yesterday, we have decided to delete our Twitter account and focus on Facebook.

``They agree it's time to remove ourselves from a place that allows so much toxic content to be directed at us and does not permit us the ability to protect ourselves from people who want to damage the search for Madeleine.

``I have been dismayed, however, at some of the hatred and sheer viciousness directed at Kate and Gerry through our social media accounts for no logical reason at all.

``At times, it has had me in tears. It is hard to accept that some people can be so cruel to a family that has already experienced the worst pain imaginable.''

Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007 and Ms Needham's 21-month-old son Ben vanished from the Greek island of Kos in July 1991.

Both families believe their children are still alive.