Madeleine McCann: Melissa Fiering Sees, An Algerian And Waldo
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
THE SUN (front page): “MADDIE SEEN IN FRANCE”
“Eye-defect girl in cafe” – Why do they stare, daddy?
DAILY MIRROR: “I SPOTTED MADDY AT CAFE IN FRANCE”
A picture of Melissa.
“’This is so significant because the girl noticed the blemish in the eye and it’s on CCTV for first time’ - McCANN FAMILY SPOKESMAN CLARENCE MITCHELL LAST NIGHT”
This is the Mirror’s “EXCLUSIVE THE HUNT FOR MADELEINE”
To France:
“The little girl was spotted in a motorway service station cafe by student Melissa Fiering, 18, who insists she clearly saw the distinctive flaw in her right iris”
Says Melissa: “My friend and I had music playing loudly out of our mobile phones and this little girl was dancing to it. It was only when I looked closely at her I realised it was Madeleine. She had a very thin face and her blonde hair had been cut much shorter, down to her jaw. But it was her”
Why so certain?
“I looked in her eye because I’d seen on TV that Madeleine’s got a defect in her right iris and I saw this girl had it. I could hardly believe my eyes but I knew for sure it was Madeleine. I called out her name and she looked up at me - she obviously recognised it”
Obviously. Dancing with a small child and then you shout out a name and she looks at you…
“But when I called out ‘Madeleine’ the man she was with got worried and started dragging her away from the queue”
The man with Madeleine is described as a “dark-skinned man, who was possibly Algerian”. Blonde girl with dark-skinned man. Like her?
What did Melissa do when he was spotted, this swarthy man?
“As he dragged the girl away he threw a white coat over her and pulled a woollen hat from his pocket and jammed it on her head. Melissa adds: ‘He didn’t say a word but as they got to the door he prodded the girl in the back. I tried to take pictures on my phone but I only got one and it was all blurred. I ran outside after them but they’d vanished”
Vanished?
“WE HAVE THE GUN THAT KILLED RHYS”
Rhys Jones was killed in Liverpool, shot by a youth on a bike
“Rhys’s mum Melanie, 42, and dad Stephen, 45, who have received a message of sympathy from Madeleine McCann’s family, issued a statement for tomorrow’s six-month anniversary of the shooting”
Why do we know this?
The message says: “We are still struggling to come to terms with the loss of our beautiful son Rhys. The pain we have had to face every day has been magnified by the poignancy of occasions like Christmas and Rhys’s 12th birthday. The last six months have been a living nightmare. All we want is justice for our son”
Rhys Jones is murdered in Liverpool. Rhys Jones was 11 years old. His parents are not suspects
DAILY EXPRESS: “MADELEINE IN NEW ‘SIGHTING’ AT RESTAURANT”
Dutch woman. A restaurant? Not a therapist. A student
The Dutch student is “100 per cent certain” she saw Madeleine McCann in a roadside restaurant in southern France
Says Melissa: “I called out ‘Madeleine’ and she looked up. The man with her was about six feet tall, with black hair, a black leather jacket and several days growth of stubble. He put on her coat and hat and bundled her away”
She adds: “I can’t stop thinking about it. I wish I had stopped that man. I wanted to pick her up, I am sorry I didn’t do that”
LIVERPOOL DAILY POST: “Madeleine McCann ’spotted’ in Southern France”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: “Student claims to have sighted Madeleine McCann in France”
A reader comments: “Is this kid going to replace Waldo?”
ASSOCIATED PRESS: “French police investigating an alleged sighting of Madeleine McCann in southern France have determined it was not the missing British girl.
A police official says a Dutch tourist reported that she may have seen McCann at a roadside restaurant. Examining closed-circuit video footage, the investigators spotted a man and a young girl who resembled McCann, but determined it was not her.
Posted: 21st, February 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (1,234) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:31 pm
new thread
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
any more newspaper sites been removing MM content today?
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I have just been sent a chain-mail from a cardioloigist
!!!!!!
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
chloe
I hope so too!
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Chloe
It depends where your emotions are at the time I think.
I will one day
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
1243 Dave 1244 Nosey
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:18 pm
1221 Gandolf:
I am not sure about the role of the police and the prosecutior in the UK. Maybe this is the reason of our dispute. Neither I am sure about the exact situation in Portugal. So all I can say is that for someone who is socialised with “continental law”, it appears that the tail was trying to wag the dog, but failed.
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
1236 Brandon
Yes, I agree on the possibility. And I cannot imagine what a 22 year old would see in someone in that situation. But her words don’t strike me as necessarily meaning that. And the word “princess” sounds as if she’s copied it from someone. Poor child, whatever the reason. I hope the social services take a good look at the family.
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Just’s book
gone now….
whoosh clunk
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Chloe - cloned? don’t tell saturn..
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Link to waht?
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Chloe 1239 - “I repeat…”
Chloe 1240 - “I repeat…”
LOL
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Whoops -I’ve been duplicated - don’t know why. Don’t think I hit it twice.
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Bye Dave
am off myself now - i think you can link to it via her posts 
Be good all
Happy sleuthing
x
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:11 pm
1234 BF
I repeat (from a few days ago): I didn’t find it depressing. I think it gives hope - it shows how it is possible to cope with the most terrible situations.
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I was wondering about this polar silence in the news regarding the mccanns…..
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Lunchtime.
Happy sleuthing all.
Nosey… later…
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
chloe
My cynical mind wonders what a 22 year old possibly sees in a 32 y o with 7 kids!
But I am a suspicious cow!
I live in West London
You need to be
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
then don’t read it brandon - you’ve got enough to deal with
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
nosey
me?
I cant I am a coward
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
1227
Dave
What to believe?
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
1223 BF
Sounds really weird. She says something like “your dad loves you very much. He’s even out looking for you” (approximately). I iamgine everyone’s thinking what I thought at first but it could just be that Shannon didn’t get on well with her stepfather and had reason to think he didn’t love her.
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
have you read Just_me’s book?
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
You are right - the different reactions are interesting. I once read somewhere that after 3 days the police get very worried.
I am good thanks. Be good to talk to you properly.
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Brandon - one of those strange coincidences or….
are the police investigating it??
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Gazza got sacked from Kettering many moons ago - was always too fond of his booze imo.
No connection to maddie as far as we know. Interesting in the different press reaction though. Which is a real shame, it is presumed that she ran away, which may have been the case initially but now the police are getting worried…
how are you?
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
There was a lot on the telly last night about the Suffolk strangler and his ability to commit two more murders despite the fact that police were swarming all over the place looking for a triple murderer at the time.
In fact they stopped Wright in the red light district duringf this time and he said he couldn’t sleep apparently.
Who would have thought that it would be easy to dispose of not one body but two under the glare of media interest and police activity.
Makes you wonder where you’ve heard this before…
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Nosey - they’ll never be as good as Rovers.
You must be gutted about Gazza!
Isn’t it a shame about this little girl. Has there been connection to the missing Maddy? Afterall is only a couple of hundred miles or more betweeen them…
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:52 pm
doncaster at home tomorrow??
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Dave
You know they are not playing today
word on the street says they are having some extra training sessions in preparation for their assault on the champions league next season.
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
just_me
The 22 y old step dad ,
and the ‘princess’ comment made me shiver !
Plus the mentioning of his efforts makes me wonder
( he is not her dad.)
Her father hasnt seen her for years.
http://video.msn.com/dw.aspx?mkt=en-gb&from=truveo&vid=745c3003-51e1-4533-b534-35aab7fe2354
her plea is here!
I hope I am wrong too