A whopping 4,000 bands of hope for missing Madeleine McCann have been snapped up at one newsagent - more than the population of

A whopping 4,000 bands of hope for missing Madeleine McCann have been snapped up at one newsagent - more than the population of the village in which it stands.

The Mercury Mercury News shop in Rothley, where the McCann family lives, has sold more of the distinctive green and yellow bands than any other outlet.

Madeleine has now been missing for 76 days but people are continuing to buy the Leicester Mercury's bands to show their support for the family.

Sue Mills runs the Rothley shop, where 4,181 bands have been sold, raising £4,442 for the Find Madeleine fund.

She said: "That's an awful lot. People just want to show their support. Obviously, it's in their minds.

"People have only to come into the village and see the massive number of yellow ribbons to be reminded of it."

The Mercury has paid for 60,000 of the bands while the firm that made them donated another 5,000. Every penny raised will go to the Find Madeleine Fund.

Rothley, Leicestershire population in the 2001 census was 3,614.

Mrs Mills said: "We've had people coming in from all over the country.