The Leicester Mercury has stopped people from commenting on stories about missing toddler Madeleine McCann on its website thisisleicestershire.co.uk.

Every week, the Mercury receives hundreds of comments that cannot be published, many of which call for the parents to be prosecuted over the abduction of their daughter.

The toddler’s father, Gerry McCann, said: “We have been advised that, legally, our behaviour was well within the bounds of responsible parenting, and have been assured that no action will be taken.”

The Mercury took the decision to stop people commenting on all stories regarding the McCanns after receiving what the paper terms “spiteful and defamatory” comments.

Editor Nick Carter said: “We encourage feedback to our website, but we have to monitor what is said to make sure people are not posting comments that might be libelous, breach the law in any way or cause gratuitous offence.

“A tiny minority of people seem to want to say nasty, spiteful and defamatory things about the McCann family.

“They are bombarding our site, and we had no choice but to block comment entirely on reports about the family.”

He made the comments after a front page article in the Sunday Express said the Crown Prosecution Service were considering whether to prosecute.

A spokeswoman for the CPS has ruled out any such action, saying they did not have any jurisdiction as the matter had occurred in Portugal.

Madeleine was snatched 84 days ago while her parents Gerry and Kate dined yards away in Praia da Luz, Portugal.