Family 'would sell homes' to fund McCanns

The aunt of Madeleine McCann has said her family is willing to sell their homes to pay legal fees run up by the missing girl's parents.

Philomena McCann said the extended family will do all it can to support Gerry McCann, her brother, and his wife Kate both emotionally and financially.

Asked if the family would consider selling their homes, she said: "It's a possibility, yes. These things happen. Money and property is not as important as family and love, is it? Not to me anyway."

Earlier this week it was revealed that cash from the fund set up to find the four-year-old will not be used to pay for legal representation for Mr and Mrs McCann.

Ms McCann said her brother and his wife were not able to hire a private investigator to work on their case as it was illegal in Portugal during an ongoing police investigation.

Instead, the fund money, totalling more than £1 million from public donations, will be spent on further advertising campaigns including billboards.

The couple have hired a top legal team in London as police in Portugal probe the possibility that they were involved in their daughter's disappearance.

A dossier of evidence against the McCanns has been passed to prosecutors in the Algarve by the Policia Judiciaria.

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