Text your news or pictures (plus 'SLNEWS' or 'SLPICS') to 80360. click here for details »
3:43pm Friday 25th May 2007
A borough charity is helping the family of missing toddler Madeleine McCann while the search for her continues, according to her uncle.
John McCann, brother of Madeleine's father Gerry, said Missing People, the new name for East Sheen based charity National Missing Persons Helpline, has offered key advice in the search for his niece.
Madeline, four last month, went missing from a holiday villa in Portugal on May 3 and an international hunt has been launched for the Leicestershire toddler.
But closer to home her uncle John said Missing People have helped to keep the case in the public eye, and make sure people around the world know of Madeline.
"They have taken Madeline on as a case," he said. "And they are helping us to do what we are doing, keeping the profile high, to keep the information coming out to the public.
"They have also shown us a bit of equipment which will help show us what Madeleine might look like if her appearance is changed.
"And if we don't get a quick resolution we will need long term support."
Mr McCann said the family still believed Madeleine was alive, and would continue to do so until they received evidence to the contrary.
He added they would leave no stone unturned in the quest to find her.
Mr McCann was speaking on International Missing Children's Day, May 25, and visited staff and volunteers at the Upper Richmond Road office to lend his support for their work.
His visit also came the day the charity changed its name to Missing People and launched an official yellow charity ribbon.
Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Missing People, said the charity had changed its name because it wanted to show it was more than just a helpline and to establish itself as the authoratitive voice on missing people.
He said the change had been planned for a year and the timing, with one of the biggest missing person cases in UK history ongoing, was co-incidental "Madeleine's disappearance has been a wake-up call that missing is a social issue," he said. "Our charity offers support to around 2000 families each year and directly as a result of our work we find 10 missing people every week.
"There isn't an authoritative voice on missing people in the UK and we need to appeal to the public in a way that we can also get more financial support. A lot of people think we have Government funding, nearly all of our money we need to fundraise.
"We had a turnover of £3m last year, which was our best ever year but if you compare that to Cancer Research, they do £450m a year.
"We are the only missing people charity in the UK and we will do whatever we can to keep a missing person's profile high."
For more informatio on Missing People visit missingpeople.org.uk and to contact the charity call the freefone number 0500 700 700.
Jillian, says...
12:13pm Sun 27 May 07
vicky, newcastle-under-lyme says...
2:21pm Sun 27 May 07
loren, englan says...
2:26pm Sun 27 May 07
julie, ramsgate says...
3:32pm Sun 27 May 07
sumayya, manchester says...
3:45pm Sun 27 May 07
sumayya, manchester says...
3:57pm Sun 27 May 07
Samantha, 5 Cathkin rd says...
7:40pm Sun 27 May 07
monique, london says...
7:47pm Sun 27 May 07
alisha, South wales says...
1:43am Mon 28 May 07
carol, newcastle upon tyne says...
4:16pm Mon 28 May 07
jacqie, wales says...
6:42pm Mon 28 May 07
Vini, SURREY says...
8:05pm Mon 28 May 07
kimberly, scotland says...
9:56pm Mon 28 May 07
Derek, Fife,Scotland says...
10:15pm Mon 28 May 07
Kattipoika, Norway says...
10:22am Tue 29 May 07
stacy, stirling says...
12:31pm Tue 29 May 07
nicole bryan, uttoxeter says...
1:40pm Tue 29 May 07
kirsty, birmingham says...
3:08pm Tue 29 May 07
quote
Lia M., Plano,Texas, USA says...
2:21am Wed 30 May 07
Casey Mccann, london says...
3:28pm Wed 30 May 07
Rebecca, SE London says...
10:31pm Wed 30 May 07
Kay-Leiigh, bristol says...
11:04pm Wed 30 May 07
cheryl, chorley says...
1:22am Thu 31 May 07
sue street, poole says...
12:18pm Thu 31 May 07
Udeme Ntukidem Dunn, London says...
2:39pm Thu 31 May 07
Bethany, manchester says...
8:53pm Thu 31 May 07
Grace and Georgia, dagenham says...
12:51am Fri 1 Jun 07
natasha, england says...
3:02pm Fri 1 Jun 07
tracy, england says...
5:59pm Fri 1 Jun 07
Tracy, england says...
6:09pm Fri 1 Jun 07
Rachel, england says...
7:42pm Fri 1 Jun 07
samii, england says...
11:43am Mon 4 Jun 07
lewis, england says...
1:35pm Mon 4 Jun 07
michala, west midlands says...
4:33pm Wed 6 Jun 07
jade, Sydney says...
2:18am Thu 7 Jun 07
samantha, newcastle says...
10:29am Thu 7 Jun 07
Olga, Russia says...
8:15pm Thu 7 Jun 07
abbie, newcastle says...
1:49pm Fri 8 Jun 07
Anna, Abi + meg, Hay, wales says...
9:48am Mon 11 Jun 07
danielle, poole says...
3:53pm Tue 12 Jun 07
jon, poole says...
3:55pm Tue 12 Jun 07
jon, poole says...
3:57pm Tue 12 Jun 07
samantha, hertfordshire says...
4:43pm Tue 12 Jun 07
karla iafrate, glasgow says...
6:45pm Tue 12 Jun 07
johar, stocking farm leicester says...
8:54pm Wed 13 Jun 07
natasha wagstaff, worksop says...
9:46am Thu 14 Jun 07
samantha rainey, NORTHERN IRELAND says...
3:32pm Thu 14 Jun 07
Gemma, Swansea says...
4:27pm Thu 14 Jun 07
lisa preddy, bridgend south wales says...
8:48pm Thu 14 Jun 07
*Destinee, winchester says...
2:53am Fri 15 Jun 07
Shannon Ford, Essex says...
4:08pm Fri 15 Jun 07
some1, England says...
10:16pm Fri 15 Jun 07
TANYA, WARWICK says...
12:45pm Sun 17 Jun 07
victoria, birmingham says...
7:00pm Sun 17 Jun 07
Vicky, lancashire says...
7:09pm Sun 17 Jun 07
Mayra, new york says...
2:15pm Mon 18 Jun 07
erman mentesh, 95 hillcrest road bromley kent br1 4sa says...
7:23am Tue 19 Jun 07
Mina Lewis, Salt Lake City Utah says...
10:09am Tue 19 Jun 07
Yvette Taylor, Berwick-upon-Tweed says...
7:02pm Tue 19 Jun 07
holly wharton, runcorn says...
10:20pm Tue 19 Jun 07
chelseaharwood, says...
9:05am Thu 21 Jun 07
emma, motherwell says...
12:27pm Sun 24 Jun 07
Jenny, milton keynes says...
7:03pm Mon 25 Jun 07
quoteTo anyone that took maddy if there is one peace of your heart that feels bade please bring her back i have 3 children and one the age of 4 and could not live with out her please bring her home good luck and hope there is news **** jenny
vicky, chesterfield says...
7:55pm Mon 25 Jun 07
paula, barnsley says...
3:54pm Wed 27 Jun 07
Yavanna.Hague, Barnsley says...
4:16pm Wed 27 Jun 07
angela, newcastle says...
11:24am Thu 28 Jun 07
lauren nd demi-leigh, aberdare says...
2:39pm Fri 29 Jun 07
Laura (Aged 16), South West England says...
2:15pm Sat 30 Jun 07
emma, liverpool says...
4:12pm Sat 30 Jun 07
SAM, HERTS says...
12:24am Mon 2 Jul 07
katy slator, bradford says...
8:41pm Tue 3 Jul 07
emma, liverpool says...
1:07pm Mon 9 Jul 07
louise n natalie, hull says...
3:15pm Thu 19 Jul 07
kayleigh, england says...
9:27am Sat 21 Jul 07
honey, london says...
2:54pm Sat 21 Jul 07
kirsty wrote:im a 10 year old girl n i wrote her a song she must have in her head
ah poor girl maddy i relii feel 4 her parents i watch da news nrly evry nite and still no gud outcum even if we hear dah she is alive and da police no were tuhh find her i feel 4 dah MacCanns i relii duhh sorry bout ur sad loss hope weee find her soonxxxxxxxxx FIND MADDY NOOOOOOWWWWWW <3quote
himed, london says...
3:00pm Sat 21 Jul 07
Jennifer Freil, Deanston says...
12:19am Wed 1 Aug 07
MARIE FORD, BIRMINGHAM says...
12:20pm Wed 1 Aug 07
kim, bedfordshire says...
9:30am Thu 9 Aug 07
connie, usa says...
6:23am Wed 22 Aug 07
CHLOE, WALES says...
10:48pm Fri 24 Aug 07
savanna, mcallen, texas says...
12:29am Tue 4 Sep 07
chrissie, au says...
5:12am Sun 9 Sep 07
emz, england says...
9:03pm Mon 10 Sep 07
alisha wrote:its lies. All lies. maddies parents have killed her but no one else can see that.it is too late now. the police have left it too long. Give yourself in
ah plz find little maddie, dont loose hope keep prayin we all ar xxx
chrissy, Lusaka-Zambia says...
1:44pm Thu 13 Sep 07
robert, north east uk says...
11:10am Mon 17 Sep 07
Jordan moses, rassau says...
1:49pm Wed 19 Sep 07
me, queensbury says...
11:59am Mon 1 Oct 07
sarah, west yorkshire says...
8:49am Mon 8 Oct 07
scott winter, newton abbout says...
11:46am Mon 8 Oct 07
Angela, Australia says...
8:12am Fri 19 Oct 07
carla, helston says...
12:52pm Thu 15 Nov 07
Nicolle allan, glasgow says...
3:42pm Sun 17 Feb 08
jessica, leigh park says...
4:23pm Fri 14 Mar 08
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Find jobs
Search Now »
Find your ideal partner
Search Now »
Find homes
Search Now »
Find cars
Search Now »
Megan Maguire, Co.Cavan Ireland says...
6:34pm Sat 26 May 07