Maddie McCann’s parents Kate and Gerry owe £29k libel bill

MADELEINE McCann’s parents have been hit with £29,500 in legal fees for the Portuguese cop who accused them of killing their child.

Kate and Gerry lost a libel case against ex- detective Goncalo Amaral.

The Sun on Sunday has seen court files showing they have had to pay him £24,000 — and now they are about to be told to cough up another £5,500.

Madeleine vanished aged three from her bed during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.

In a 2008 book, Amaral claimed Kate and Gerry accidentally killed her and covered it up by pretending she had been abducted.

He overturned their initial damages victory over his book The Truth Of The Lie and the decision in his favour was also upheld by another court.

The extra £5,500 is to cover further costs being run up by his lawyers defending their final appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

And the couple, both 51, of Rothley, Leics, face having to fork out even more if they lose again.

Our reporter was given permission by staff to view the huge legal dossier kept in an office at Lisbon Civil Court.

The court papers also show Amaral, 59, who has caused the parents fresh distress in a controversial new Netflix documentary, had huge debts when he wrote his book