MADELEINE McCann's parents are being bombarded with hate mail from trolls as a result of the Netflix documentary about her disappearance – as police wait for extra cash to continue the search.

The official campaign website, set up to help find Maddie and endorsed by Kate and Gerry, has monitored and deleted the vile abuse as it vows to stamp out online hate.

In a stern warning the page’s unnamed digital coordinator, a friend of the McCann’s posted today: “As a reminder, all posts are hidden until they are approved. If you make a nasty comment, your post will be deleted and you will be banned."
Three-year-old Maddie vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal’s Praia da Luz in May 2007.

She had been left alone sleeping with her younger siblings while her parents were dining with pals in a nearby tapas restaurant.

A family pal today told The Sun Online: “Kate and Gerry are angry and upset that people continue to write false and malicious things against them.

"Every time a positive story appears the trolls kick in with even more abuse. It’s been going on for nearly 12 years. Thankfully the website is not airing their vicious bile."

The new eight-part series by the American global streaming giant repeats false claims by former Portuguese detective Goncalo Amaral that the youngster was accidentally killed by her parents and they faked her abduction.

Heart doctor Gerry, 50, and former GP Kate, 51, now a medical worker, of Rothley, Leics, have slammed the programme saying it will “do absolutely nothing” to help the worldwide search to find her and could even hinder it.

Kate and Gerry are anxiously waiting to find out if the Home Office will approve a fresh request by Scotland Yard for more money – a reported £150,000 – to continue the search for the next 12 months. Current funding for the Maddie investigation Operation Grange, which has so far cost the British taxpayer £11.75 million, runs out in just seven days at the end of the month.

WAITING FOR MORE MONEY

Tonight a Home Office spokesperson told The Sun Online that no decision had yet been made, saying: “There’s no update on this at the moment.”

The McCanns have been targeted by trolls over the years – many sending hate messages at significant times such as when more funding from the public purse has been announced.

Some anti-McCann campaigners question why Maddie – a pretty white girl from a middle class professional family which has links to politicians – is singled out for “preferential treatment” amidst the thousands of missing youngsters never heard about.

Two years ago after the heart-wrenching milestone of the 10 year anniversary of her disappearance, their campaign website revealed in October 2017: "We’ve been barraged with hate via Facebook.”

SHIELD THE TWINS

It came as the Home Office announced a new £154,000 handout to keep the search for Maddie alive for another six months.
Kate and Gerry still try to shield their 14-year-old old twins from the taunts made against them and “the downside of social media.”

Kate said: “We are aware of things that get said because people alert us to them. Our worry is for our children.”

Gerry added: “We have told them that people are writing things that are simply just untrue and they need to be aware of that.”

Family spokesman Clarence Mitchell, who is also regularly abused by trolls, refused to discuss the latest online haters, saying: “I’m not talking about the trolls because it only fuels it.”

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