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Madeleine McCann: Picture Of Missing Toddler Used 'To Advertise Discount Holidays In Portugal'

Huffington Post UK  |  By Posted: 08/05/2012 09:54 Updated: 08/05/2012 17:01

A website offering holiday discount vouchers has used a picture of Madeleine McCann to advertise a £20 off online deal.

The snap is one of the last ever taken off the toddler, who went missing in 2007. It features her smiling face above the strapline “Best Value”.

The now expired deal, featured on VoucherDigg, offered £20 off bookings on a minimum £400 spend at lowcostholidays.com.

Among the breaks advertised is a self-catering family apartment in Albufeira, Algarve, 25 miles from the resort in Praia da Luz where Madeleine disappeared.

The promotion adds: "lowcostholidays.com can hardly give out this kind of offer. Hurry up for time is limited. Take the ones you loved and enjoy your life."

screen shot 2

A screengrab of the £20 discount offer, featuring Madeleine McCann's smiling face

Lawrence Hunt, the boss of lowcosttravelgroup said he was "outraged" the image had been linked to his firm and that initial inquiries had traced the picture to a Chinese marketing company.

He said: “We have broken all the links from their site to ours and have contacted them to remove this content.”

The use of the picture has been branded “appallingly insensitive” by a spokesman for Madeleine’s parents Gerry and Kate.

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Clarence Mitchell told the Daily Star: “This is an appalling use of Madeleine’s picture and whether it is a result of hacking or a mistake, it must be removed immediately.”

The paper adds that law firm Carter-Ruck has been contacted to remove the image “with immediate effect”.

Users on a forum dedicated to the missing child have described the move as “disgraceful”, “disgusting” and in “very poor taste”.

Press queries from Huffington Post UK to VoucherDigg have not been answered.

Loading Slideshow...

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    A photo of Madeleine McCann that was taken when she was 3 years old.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    Kate McCann looks at an inflatable News of the World poster of missing daughter Madeleine measuring approx 800sq ft on the beach in Praia Da Luz, Portugal.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    Kate McCann, mother of missing Madeleine, during the recording of a television interview for the spanish television show "Los Mas Buscados" with images of Madeleine on a large TV screen behind her, in the Hotel Villa Magna in Madrid.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    The GPR image that Stephen Birch believes shows a grave.

  • Missing girl in Algarve

    A photo of the May 15, 2007 search of the property in Praia da Luz where Stephen Birch believes he found a grave. The black box indicates the rubble pile he claims police never searched.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    An October 2007 photo of the same location. Stephen Birch said this photo indicates the rubble pile had not been touched during the May 2007 search.

  • Missing girl in Algarve

    An overlay of the two photos.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page.

  • Missing Madeleine McCann

    Kate and Gerry McCann in Quorn, Leicestershire, as they launch a petition to lobby the UK and Portuguese governments for a joint or independent review over their daughter Madeleine's disappearance.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    Kate McCann, mother of missing girl Madeleine McCann leaves the village chruch in Praia Da Luz on the Algarve, Portugal, following a service.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    Kate McCann leaves a church service in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, 2 weeks after Madeleine McCann went missing on the evening of Thursday May 3.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page.

  • Missing Madeleine McCann

    Kate and Gerry McCann give a press conference in central London on their newly published book 'Madeleine' about their daughter's disappearance in 2007.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    Business card sized leaflets showing missing girl Madeleine McCann, which were handed out to fans during the Espanyol v Sevilla Uefa Cup final at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

  • Missing girl in Algarve

    Kate McCann leaves the special service for the 100th day of Madeleine McCann's disappearance at the local church in Praia Du Luz, Portugal.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    Kate and Gerry McCann make an appeal for their three year old Madeleine's return.

  • Girl missing in Algarve

    An undated photo of Madeleine McCann from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page.

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A website offering holiday discount vouchers has used a picture of Madeleine McCann to advertise a £20 off online deal. The snap is one of the last ever taken off the toddler, who went missing in...
A website offering holiday discount vouchers has used a picture of Madeleine McCann to advertise a £20 off online deal. The snap is one of the last ever taken off the toddler, who went missing in...
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adenjack
43 Fans
07:36 PM on 02/16/2013
Actually it was the utter mishandling of Madeleine McCann's abduction by the Portugese police and media that made me determined that I would never again holiday in portugal .....

At least that way the country would not get or benefit from my money........ I just despise them.
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bdvc
42 Fans
01:37 PM on 09/23/2012
OMG! jJst realised I've been posting on an article from MAY! Get up to date Huff!
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bdvc
42 Fans
01:34 PM on 09/23/2012
Googling "Little girl holiday pictures" produces this image with a number of others. This is the most attractive picture and if you don't click the link, which produces the Daily Mail article, but click "other sizes" you get JUST the picture which you can download and thus use.
It was a mistake which the owner of the company involved has deplored. Maybe he won't use the Chinese any more?
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bdvc
42 Fans
01:09 PM on 09/23/2012
Why won't the McCanns accept that very, very sadly their pretty little girl is not alive any more and probably hasn't been for a long time?
If they want closure then why do they not investigate every possible lead like the guy who has suggested that there is a burial place in a local driveway?
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almeda11
59 Fans
11:27 AM on 10/28/2012
Nobody can say FOR SURE, if she is alive any more,and why would anyone want to google holiday pictures of little girls?
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bdvc
42 Fans
04:15 PM on 10/28/2012
I did that to check out how the holiday company's agent came up with the picture of Madeleine McCann without realising who she was. Presumably they came by the photo the same way. Understand?
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Martin Timothy
3 Fans
09:33 PM on 05/17/2012
http://www.dockersunion.net/vb/showthread.php?457-Madeleine-McCann-was-abducted-from-Praia-Da-Luz-Portugal-on-3-May-2007&p=1157#post1157

Madeleine McCann was abducted from Praia Da Luz, Portugal on 3 May 2007, Sophie Moon makes porno movies in Portugal with Viv Thomas .. the reflection in their eyes, indicate both girls photographs were taken in the same studio.

This information will bring the Viv Thomas pedo / snuff porn show down, and hang every newsman, policeman and politician in Britain who avoids the evidence, as part of the conspiracy!
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Noble
my micro-bio isn't empty now
201 Fans
07:17 PM on 05/09/2012
Sounds like they hired a cheap Chinese ad firm that stole images off the net without regard to where they came from. One of the hazards of doing things on the cheap.
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Evi279
2 Fans
01:04 PM on 05/09/2012
This is as sick as sick gets. I really am lost for words.
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mrsraisasharpe
121 Fans
03:24 PM on 05/09/2012
I totally agree with you - raking money in from your daughter's disappearance 'is as sick as sick gets'. I too am 'lost for words'.
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bdvc
42 Fans
01:12 PM on 09/23/2012
Not sick, just an unfortunate consequence of the world wide web.
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Evi279
2 Fans
07:42 PM on 09/25/2012
Sorry...Yes it is Sick. I also agree with you.
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Evi279
2 Fans
07:49 PM on 09/25/2012
Sorry...Yes it is Sick. But I agree with you about the web, omitting the 'oh well, such is life' "just" part. This reported incidence  caused terrible harm to those close to the little girl.
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lokiesteve
72 Fans
11:17 AM on 05/09/2012
If it is such a bad thing to do then why does the Huff post go into detail about the holiday deal and even link to it? Is that necessary to the story?
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acrylic99
23 Fans
12:57 PM on 05/09/2012
Thanks for the tip off, there's some good deals on the lowcostholidays website.
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MELkay
34 Fans
10:44 AM on 05/09/2012
I FOR ONE WILL NEVER GO PORTUGAL AGAIN, THE PEOPLE STILL THINK THE McCANNS WHERE INVOLVED. NICE PEOPLE . THEY JUST WANT YOUR MONEY.
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jive
18 Fans
01:45 AM on 05/09/2012
the pain this woman is going through(and it shows)day after day,hoping that some day she will be reunited with maddie,then a stunt like this,goes to show how sick some people are.
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dkellyscotland
63 Fans
03:39 AM on 05/09/2012
I think you are rather overegging it a bit. Not a stunt and not sick. Just a hugely unfortunate slice of bad luck.

The Chinese company were probably just told to grab a picture of a little girl having fun in that region. I'm sure they would not have been advised to use a picture of her specifically and if they don't know the back story, which most people outside the UK aren't likely to, they can't be blamed at all.

Nor can VoucherDigg or lowcosttravelgroup be blamed for this. Their only sins are wanting things done on the cheap and not checking the results. Even then, would they recognise it was a 5 year old picture of a missing child? Probably not (I know I wouldn't).

Clearly they should have hired a model so they had photos which they owned, but lots of people should do lots of things but don't for the sake of money, so they are hardly doing something uniquely bad.
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jive
18 Fans
12:05 AM on 05/10/2012
Well i think youve made all the points why it should not have been done,i rest my case.
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NettyBetty
1 Fans
08:44 PM on 05/09/2012
She wouldn't be feeling any pain if she and her husband hadn't left their 3 children in bed while they wined and dined with friends, for all the times my hubby and myself went on holiday abroad we NEVER EVER left our child alone, wherever we went she went too!!
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jive
18 Fans
12:02 AM on 05/10/2012
ok,i would not have left my kids on their own,but it does not make it right in your mind that they got what they deserved,im human and carnt imagine the hurt these parents are going through,its a lousy world and children these days have got to be protected more than ever wherever they may be.
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delstefan
11 Fans
12:19 AM on 05/09/2012
A vile thing to do.All the McCanns would want is closure on this incident.That people have posted comments against them beggars belief.Have they not suffered enough.
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acrylic99
23 Fans
11:36 PM on 05/08/2012
The McCanns have had a lot of money from wealthy and not-so-wealthy supporters and an expensive PR man, also paid for by others. Politicians have jumped on the bandwagon and now a new British police investigation, probably doomed to failure as whatever did happen happened five years ago and sightings are ten a penny. If she was abducted and is still alive and living with someone who occasionally watches the news (and isn't rich already), isn't it a bit strange that there have been no ransom demands by now?
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Noble
my micro-bio isn't empty now
201 Fans
07:08 PM on 05/09/2012
Many kids are abducted and never heard from again or are raised to be adults and we learn about them decades after their disappearance. If the McCanns have been able to get funding, good for them. There are plenty of parents out there who bankrupt themselves trying to find answers they'll never get. Doomed to failure or not, I'm not sure I'd do things differently if I were them.
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acrylic99
23 Fans
07:20 PM on 05/09/2012
Who knows what they did - yet?
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daiozzz
3 Fans
08:23 PM on 05/09/2012
dont talk poo i don't think they needed the money and if it was my child id won't the best people on the job. wouldn't you?
and no amount of time would make me give up.i expect you don't have kids..
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acrylic99
23 Fans
09:09 PM on 05/09/2012
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have left a four-year old and two two-year olds on their own in the first place.
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Boll X
33 Fans
11:27 PM on 05/08/2012
Now we're cooking with gas
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Boll X
33 Fans
11:03 PM on 05/08/2012
Some of the comments on here which huffpost obviously condone are dangerously close to slander and I hope the authorities are scanning them. If this is snuffed out I will put this comment on the daily mail thread.
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