Mrs Cooper, a community healthcare co-ordinator from Newark, Notts, added: “In my job I have to assess people and make a judgement. My judgement is that this man was very suspicious and could have been the kidnapper everyone is searching for.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, we might accept her character assessment expertise as valid, if this man was applying for a home careworker. However, I would even dispute this. Given that looking a bit unkempt and walking in the rain – Arrgh, that would often describe me – make her so instantly suspicious that I fear for her clients. If her employer provides “diversity awareness training,” maybe they should consider whether a refresher course is not overdue.<\/p>\n

But what she is basiically saying, echoed by the McCann industry, the News of the World and uncritically reported even on the BBC site – “There was a potential Muslim there. A poor and probably criminal Muslim. You need look no further.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

The preposterous detective investigations, carried out on behalf of the McCanns, are determined to put the focus on Morocco and Algeria. You can’t really blame them for not wanting to pass up on the opportunity for exotic holidays on expenses.<\/p>\n

Whenever a tourist spots a blonde Berber child (far from rare) anywhere in North Africa, they are identified as Madeleine.<\/p>\n

Oddly, the idea that hair colour iis immutable seems to have penetrated the discourse. The People talks about disguising the child’s eye feature. But none of the media has thought for a moment how insanely simple it is to change blonde hair in a certain style to brown, black or red hair in a different style…. Dying, perms, hair cutting.. The UK now has many times more hairdressers than independent greengrocers. Surely someone has made the connection.<\/p>\n

The iconic newspaper-selling power of the McCann story rests partly on the stereotypical “little blonde girl” image? This image is increasingly contrasted with alien enemies: the non-English speaking Portuguese police force and menacing exotic North Africans.<\/p>\n

The coverage expresses the inherent xenophobia and outright racism of sections of the UK population much more blatantly than a dozen Big-Brother-spats.<\/p>\n

If you can read Portuguese, Spanish and\/or French – or at least use Babelfish – the continental European press has a much wider and more sceptical coverage of aspects of the story, including many points about the financing of the McCann campaign that would never get on to UK websites or into UK papers.<\/p>\n