Belfast lawyer to assist McCanns

Madeleine McCann went missing in the resort of Praia da Luz

A Belfast solicitor, who defended Omagh bomb suspect Sean Hoey, is to assist Madeleine McCann's parents in their legal defence.

Peter Corrigan was approached by Gerry and Kate McCann's legal team.

The move follows allegations that the four-year-old's DNA was found in the boot of their hire car weeks after their daughter disappeared.

Mr Corrigan told the Irish News his work would involve "exposing the unreliability of LCN DNA".

LCN (Low Copy Number) DNA is believed to have been the test used by Portuguese police to deduce that Madeleine had been in the car after her disappearance from an apartment in the Praia da Luz resort.

It magnifies potential forensic evidence, however, it is argued that this process can result in possible distortion.

A total of 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, lost their lives when a Real IRA bomb exploded in Omagh, County Tyrone, on 15 August 1998.

Sean Hoey, 37, from Jonesborough, County Armagh, is the only person to be charged in connection with the atrocity.

He denies a total of 56 charges, including 29 counts of murder.