Missing children's campaign backed by McCann and Jones families

The mothers of Madeleine McCann and April Jones have launched the new scheme Credit: PA

The mother of murdered schoolgirl April Jones has joined Kate McCann to launch a new campaign aimed at signing up at least a million people to a missing children's alert scheme.

Coral Jones and Mrs McCann, mother of missing Madeleine, unveiled a digital billboard at King's Cross station today designed to issue alerts to the public about missing children.

Madeleine McCann was taken from a hotel apartment in Portugal Credit: PA Wire

The scheme will use social media to broadcast alerts across the country when a missing child is believed to be in danger.

25,000 people have already signed up to the scheme ahead of its launch date on Sunday, International Missing Children's Day.

Coral Jones, whose daughter April was taken from outside her home in Machynlleth, North Wales, in October 2012 explained why her family was backing the new campaign:

Organisers say the scheme will be able to issue both localised and national alerts, and they are hoping the number of people signed up to the campaign will reach the one million mark by the end of its first year.