that a woman stacking shelves in Iceland would make a point of getting my 3 year old to look at her because she happens to be called Maddy

[YesShesCalledMadeleine]

this is just ridiculous

we were walking past her, she was stocking shelves, she actually stood in our way barring our pat so that she could get a good look at my child who was happily skipping along and calling me mummy

I am finding this wholly intrusive

I don't think there's any harm in it, TBH, though slightly odd with a dark-skinned child! My four-year-old, fair-haired girl has been given long, searching looks a couple of times in the past weeks, but people have looked away again quickly when they see she has brown eyes. I haven't minded; the more people keeping an eye out, the better.

tbh i don't see the problem, there are far worse things in the world to fret about

OH THERe are loads of stories like this.

friends neighbour has a daughter who looks similar to MMc and people have walked up to her and stared straight in the poor childs face.

Bizarre

I can see why it would annoy you.

Annoying and intrusive. It would piss me off.

I remember walking along the road with my grandfather when I was about 7 - we were going to meet my mum. When we met up he told her that we had been followed by a policeman all the way and he had been radio-ing through a description of me on his walkie talkie - a little girl had gone missing at about the same time. I hadn't noticed of course but he had.

It must be a bit annoying but shouldn't we all be glad that people are keeping an eye out for children?

i'd have been livid! this whole hysteria thing drives me nuts.

How ridiculous. So this woman could save a child's life in the 3rd world by giving £2 to Oxfam or whatever, but she felt she would be doing a better job if she checked all the 3 year olds entering her local Iceland? Pathetic.

All right, she may also give to Oxfam or whatever but it still gets on my nerves.

good point, nine.

A bit odd granted but nothing to get in a lather about.

Would be very pissed off.

Oh for heaven's sake, some people are just loving all this, aren't they? As if a dark-skinned, dark-eyed child looks anyting like Madeleine. Woman was just getting some voyeuristic thrill out of it.

I think you're overreacting tbh and can't see why it should be a problem. No-one knows where the missing girl is, she could be in your town for all you know. What i'm saying is that some poeple perhaps take things a little far but what if maddy is found by a member of the public being a little over vigilent [sp].

If you had abducted Madeleine McCann - currently the most famous child in the UK, if not half the world - would you seriously be taking her on a shopping trip to a supermarket? And be calling out her name in the middle of the store?

Agree with Edam. Voyeuristic thrills for some people.

hmm, yeah quite true, but if you yourself heard someone shout out the name you may find yourself looking in that direction. Shop assistant was perhaps a bit impulsive in this instance.

I think most of us would look twice hearing that name but I can understand why you're miffed.

my dp says... "thats why ppl who stack shelves stakc shelves.."

She stacks shelves for minimum wage - there is a large reward and a shed load of media coverage.

Agree with NineUnlikelyTales.