This article was first published on
guardian.co.uk on Friday March 07 2008. It was last updated at 18:58 on March 07 2008.
Lawyers acting for Kate and Gerry McCann are considering taking legal action against Express Newspapers over what the couple claim to be a series of "wildly and grossly defamatory" articles about their missing daughter Madeleine.
The McCanns have made official complaints to Richard Desmond's newspaper group about its coverage in the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday through London law firm Carter Ruck, which specialises in high profile libel cases.
They are thought to be particularly upset by the coverage in the Daily Express, which has splashed on a nearly daily basis on the Madeleine case with what they believe are increasingly lurid stories and headlines.
The McCanns' spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, confirmed that complaints had been made to the newspaper group.
"Carter Ruck have been instructed to act on behalf of the McCanns to seek redress and discussions are ongoing, but beyond that it would be inappropriate to speculate on other courses of action," he said.
Adam Tudor, who is acting for the McCanns at Carter Ruck, added: "I and my firm have been instructed to bring complaints on their behalf and these complaints are ongoing."
The McCanns' legal moves against Express Newspapers were reported by Private Eye this week, although Mitchell said the magazine's claim that the McCanns were seeking £4m in damages was "wildly speculative".
He added that any damages won would go back into the Find Madeleine fund, which currently stands at £544,000 - nearly half the £1.2m it started with.
Mitchell said the McCanns were not targeting any one story in particular but were angry about a series of "wildly and grossly defamatory articles".
It is understood the McCanns are focussing on Express Newspapers as they believe its newspapers to be "amongst the worst offenders" and want a full apology and damages as well as costs.
Under UK law, the McCanns and their lawyers have a year from the publication of an article to decide whether they wish to take legal action against its content.
It is thought that in the case of the coverage they are assessing, that year would be up some time in mid-May and a decision must be taken by then.
Express Newspapers was contacted by MediaGuardian.co.uk but had not commented by the time of publication.
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