Madeleine McCann parents awarded £358,000 libel payout

Kate and Gerry McCann, the parents of missing Madeleine, have been awarded a libel payout by a court in Portugal against the former police chief who led the investigation into their daughter's disappearance.

Goncalo Amaral was ordered to pay damages of €250,000 to each of the McCanns, a total of £358,000, after they sued following the publication of his book The Truth of the Lie.

The court also ordered sales of the book to be halted.

Giving evidence at Lisbon's Palace of Justice last year the couple spoke of their "devastation, desperation, anxiety and pain" over the claims.

They added that the book hampered support from in Portugal as they looked for their daughter.

Mrs McCann told the court her young son had asked about Mr Amaral's allegations after hearing about them on the radio while travelling on the school bus.