Madeleine McCann's father is supporting calls by Portugal to create a Europe-wide alert system for missing children. Portugal, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, is reportedly pushing for such a system to be set up at a key meeting of European home affairs ministers.Portuguese police faced criticism over the speed of their initial response to the disappearance, including questions over how quickly they sealed the borders and alerted the ports and airports. Images of Madeleine were circulated through the media by friends and family in the hours after Madeleine's disappearance.
Portuguese officials are now said to be backing the extension of a French alert system, which includes electronic roadside messages, across the EU's 27 countries. In the UK a similar county-wide scheme, including automatic media alerts, was pioneered in the UK in Surrey after the disappearance of local schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
Madeleine's father Gerry McCann said: "If this is true we would very much welcome it as a major step in the right direction toward helping other children and their families. Kate and I have consistently campaigned to effect such changes throughout the European Union to help protect children everywhere." (Sky News)