Madeleine McCann’s parents praise Piers Morgan for defending multi-million pound hunt for missing tot
The family's spokesman said the host's comments were 'very sensible' as extra funding to aid search announced
PIERS Morgan has been praised by Madeleine McCann’s parents for “speaking sense” in a fresh debate over the multi-million pound police hunt, their spokesman revealed last night.
The outspoken Good Morning Britain host hit back on Monday's show at criticism of the extra £85,000 cops are getting to continue the search for Maddie nearly 10 years after her disappearance.
McCann spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: “What Piers said in defence of Kate and Gerry and the police search for their daughter is entirely right and his comments speak for themselves, and are very sensible.”
Piers and his co-host Susanna Reid debated the issue with retired Met police officer Sue Hill, Dr Graham Hill, who worked on the investigation, and Karen Danczuk.
Some viewers were left furious as it emerged the investigation has cost more than £11 million since Maddie vanished aged three from Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.
Piers sparked outrage with some after defending the £85,000 fund to extend the case for another six months.
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He said: "It is complicated, so many people take a moral view on the McCanns.
"I wouldn’t have done what they did but having interviewed them your heart breaks for these people.
"I don’t think there is any bigger priority, I really don't. Other than keeping the country safe from terrorism, missing kids has got to be top of the list."
Former cop Sue Hill slammed the huge bill as a waste of taxpayers’ money and urged the force to finally shelve their inquiry and “put sentiment aside”.
She said: "Knowing how many undetected murders there are here in London… sometimes you have to put sentiment to one side and say enough is enough."
A source close to ex-GP Kate, 49, and heart doctor Gerry, 48, of Rothley, Leics, said: “Why a retired police officer is challenging how Scotland Yard spend their resources on the biggest ever missing child cases is simply baffling.
"To say they should be closing the case while important inquiries are still ongoing is ridiculous.”
Fans took to Twitter to insist police resources had been stretched far enough by the case - and many suggested other missing child cases have been underfunded in comparison to the Maddie probe.
One outraged viewer wrote: "Glad that @gmb are covering the #MadeleineMccann funding. This case is being over-resourced, yet again. Taxpayers aren't happy."
Another added: "11.1m on the search for #MadeleineMccann is ridiculous..."
A third tweeted: "#MadeleineMcCann When Do We #ScaleBack Really? Im #Hurt For The Families Of This Girl But What About Other #Children Who Have #Disappeared?"
Piers stood by his viewpoint and later defended the McCanns on Twitter.
He said: "Astonishing how much vitriol & abuse the sanctimonious British public pours on the heads of Madeleine McCann's parents. And shameful."
The TV host later added: "The McCanns spend every day imagining their little girl being raped, tortured or murdered by a paedophile. There can't be anything worse.
"Sue made a valid point but British cops are chasing a new lead that could solve the McCann case. Surely they must pursue it?"
The funding bump comes after it emerged cops are chasing a new lead as they hunt for a former employee at the resort where Maddie disappeared.
British police want to speak to a Portuguese man who worked at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz.
The unnamed man had previously been interviewed by cops desperate to track down Maddie, but now they have reason to believe he may hold more key information.
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