Top PR - and links to the Labour Party, remember.

Tony, London,

i agree with Bruno , we do empathize with the parents but enough is enough.

Duke Adriano

duke, Lisbon , portugal

To Bruno in Lisbon - perhaps if the Portuguese police were more concerned with finding out what actually happened to this child rather than fabricating a case against the parents to conceal their own incompetence, then the media attention would not be necessary.
Oliver, London

Oilver White, London, UK

Bruno, if your police did there job properly then maybe this circus, as you call it, would have been over by now!

Your wonderful police force are looking like a bunch of clowns with each passing day. Maybe they could join the circus!

John, ediburgh, Scotland

Although I agree that this story is tragic beyond comprehension-being I am a mother of three. I find it baffling that this particular story has received so much media attention. I suspect that the McCanns are very well to do since the media overlooks the countless thousands of other missing children from around the world. As this particular story portrays the false pretense that this is an unusual occurance-I find it abhorrent that countless "poor" children go missing seemingly unnoticed all over the world. Yes, sadly this also occurs in the United States. I do feel very sad for the McCanns and for all the unknown parents suffering a similar fate.

Renee, Woodbury, MN, United States

If it was your child would you feel the same way?

Chase, Washington, USA

While I understand and sympathize over the excitement of a possible sighting of the missing Madeleine McCann -- I too had my hopes raised on the news -- it is likely that such false sightings might happen more than once in Morocco. It is not at all unusual to see blonde and red-headed Berbers, with green or blue eyes, as I noticed while living there. One of my Berber neighbor's daughters was strikingly dark-blond with olive-green eyes.

Lane, Brooklyn,

No this is not pathetic - any suspicious citing should be investigated. I do agree though that other missing children should have a higher profile, not only would this increase the chances of them being found, but it would also discourage the perpetrators from considering kidnapping and harming children. I think that it is unfortunate that the Portuguese police have been smeared in this investigation, but I feel that this has been mainly due to Portugal's secrecy laws, leaks to the press and the media's attempts to get the best headline. All police forces makes mistakes - but mostly they learn from them. I am sure Portugal will also.

Lorraine, Derby, UK

if this "circus" helps find madeline, then it will all be worth it

Jamie, exeter,

This is not a circus!!!!!!!!!!! If your child were missing wouldn't you want everything possible done to bring him or her home? You can't blame the child because she's privileged. She is still out there somewhere and even if she is not alive she deserves to go home, no matter who her parents are.

Marie, Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca, USA

This is a horrible lullaby story…
Unfortunately this is reality… A CHIILD is missing, so its time to put an end on this everyday diversion manoeuvres.

MGF, Lisbon, Portugal

You're not a policeman, by any chance, are you Bruno?

Also, I suspect that young, blonde girls are fairly rare amongst the native Moroccan population.

Dave, Exeter, UK

But, do you really think that after all the publicity about her disappearence, someone would be so stupid and take the risk to go out with her for a walk?

Ali, London,

This only showcases the prejudices of some people who think that every blonde, light-skinned girl has to be European and that all Middle Easterners have to be dark-skinned and dark-haired. The Middle East/South Asia is diverse with a variety of features, hair and eye colours.

I admit there is a resemblance but the reporting of this "find" leaves something to be desired. Why was the mother of the Moroccan child repeatedly described as a "Muslim woman was seen dragging the little girl across the street..." ? This is Morocco. It is highly likely that most women there are Muslim. What does her religion have to do with anything? Why not just a Moroccan woman was seen with a child? If the child had been "sighted" in Spain, would reporters or those doing the alleged "sighting" have said " A Catholic woman was seen dragging the child....."? No, they would have just said a woman or a Spanish woman.

KS, BH,

I second Bruno's comment. This is just pathetic and revolting,! Not to say racist! The woman who took the picture should have been more careful before giving the picture to the media.

She didn't even give it to the PJ, who is in charge of this case! An apology from her and from the media should be given to this Moroccan mother, as she came in every newspaper all over the world as an abducter!!!

One of the newspapers, one of the tabloids, even called the people in the picture a " moroccan gang" and said the little girl looked frightned. This is disgusting!!

Teresa, Lisbon, Portugal

Now now Bruno! this is not pathetic, the McCanes need some action!! They are desperate to find their beautiful child. I'm sure you would do your best to get your child back. Yes ok there are others out there that haven't had the same privileges but if I had the connections I would do the same AND SO WOULD YOU!!!!

Nicole, Ashvale, surrey

Imagine an abducter in Morroco hanging around with little Madeleine! Isn't it ridiculous? At least the abducter would have dyed the little girl's hair.
If it were not tragic it would be a theme for a silly British soap.

João, Lisboa, Portugal

Why don't the people who have these "sightings" ever approach the adults that are with "Madeleine"? I'm sorry, but I think that they just treat it like an exciting holiday story when they get home. Sad people trying to be part of the McCann storyline.

J Price, Birmingham,

This is all getting far too whimsical and hebephrenic. Can anybody tell me the difference between "Madeleine spotting" and people who swear they saw Elvis buying pants in M&S?

The whole case has become a farrago of faux concern and mass sentimentality. Thousands of African kids are starving, dying of AIDS or dysentry. Children are suffering abuse and untold horrors everywhere.

It's time to move on.

Jack Bloxam, 14redlion,

Bruno from Lisbon, people have stepped up to the breach to HELP and SUPPORT the Mccanns, off their owns backs because this case is shocking, the website set up by a friend, interviews done by family, british businessmen and sports personalties have VOLUNTEERED their help, the incidident has raised the profiles of missing people charities all over the world, and hopefully because of this case, kidknappers may think twice before striking again (we live in hope) not to forget that amongst all of this, there is a family crippled with pain, hoping that one day all of this might bring their beautiful, little girl back, and doing their jobs as parents to do EVERYTHING in their power to find her which anyone would do including the parents of tragic other cases still unresolved - circus, I dont think so tragic yes, I find the issue disturbing, not the media attention, as the saying goes, if you have nothing nice to say, best not to say anything at all.

Pippa, North Yorkshire, UK

Can we now discount Morocco and concentrate on what really happened to Madeleine?

Charlotte, Richmond, Yorkshire,

Unfortunate, it would have been wonderful to find her. 99.9% of these sightings will turn out to be nothing, but they still have to be checked out.

Mary, Oklahoma, USA

I'm sorry but this is absolutely pathetic! Now every single sighting of a young, blond girl (how rare they are!) is supposed to be checked by the every country's local police?? I find the amount of resources and media attention being dedicated to this case deeply disturbing. What about all the other missing kids who are less photogenic and less privileged than this one? Do we really have to rub it in their parent's faces how little we care about them because they don't have top PR?? Please, let this circus end!

Bruno, Lisbon, Portugal