Sir Christopher Meyer, a former Press Complaints Commission chairman, has given evidence to the Leveson Inquiry and defended the role of the PCC in relation to press coverage of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Sir Christopher said the PCC had "made particular efforts" to make themselves available to Kate and Gerry McCann after Madeleine went missing, contacting the British embassy in Lisbon within 48 hours of her disappearance in Portugal in May 2007.

He said the McCanns had needed the press for the sake of publicity but had been forced to strike a "Faustian bargain".

Sir Christopher said Portuguese police had been "leaking like sieves" and journalists were under pressure to keep the story running and started taking risks.