Safety fears for woman at centre of Maddy scam
Monday June 11 2007
A WOMAN arrested for making bogus door-to-door collections for the Madeleine McCann fund may have to be hidden because of fears for her safety.
And if relatives cannot shelter her, council housing bosses will be asked to provide her a safe home until public anger eventually dies down. The 33-year-old was detained in Staffordshire, in the UK, last week after being given cash by unwitting householders, and was bailed until June 30.
It is understood that she admitted to detectives that the collections were not genuine, and would not benefit the search for the missing girl.
She has not yet been charged with any offence. Police fear that if she is officially charged, her identity will be made public and she could be at risk of reprisals.
Risk
Last night, the policeman investigating the case said the woman might have to be found alternative housing. Staffordshire Police Insp Matt Derrick said officers would carry out a risk assessment to gauge the degree of public animosity shown towards the woman.
It is feared there could be anger in the local community on the estate, where the woman lives and where she was carrying out the collections.
The alarm was raised after a frail pensioner told her carer how she had given stg£2.70 to "a woman who called at the door" collecting for Madeleine. Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry are going to Morocco to the scene of several unconfirmed sightings today on the last of their trips to raise awareness of Madeleine's abduction.
Mr and Mrs McCann are expected to move out of their Mark Warner apartment this week, and take up more permanent housing.
- James Savage
