A British mother has claimed her daughter could have been the “next Madeleine McCann’’ after alleging that a cleaner tried to snatch her from their Cyprus hotel room.
Siobhan Prescott, 25, claims she woke to the sound of her one-year-old daughter Harper crying and a dark-haired woman in her 40s hovering over her cot, attempting to pick the child up.
The horrified mother claims she was unable to react because she was sleeping naked, so screamed out for her partner Simon Smith, who was on the balcony of their room.
He allegedly confronted the woman, who was dressed a cleaner’s uniform, and demanded to know what she was doing.
The woman allegedly burst into tears and tried to flee, pausing pick up the room telephone.
When Smith, also 25, asked what she was doing, she hung up and ran out of the room, he said.
Prescott reported the incident to the hotel, Cyprus police force and the British Consulate but says she is disgusted at the lack of action since the incident on 28 February.
The family say they have since been told the cleaner in question has been sacked from the five-star King Evelthon Beach and Hotel Resort in Chloraka Bay, Cyrpus.
A spokesperson for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office confirmed: “We provided support to a British woman and her family following an incident in Cyprus in February.”
Recalling the moment, Prescott said: “I was napping when a maid snuck into the room and tried to snatch my baby.
“The only reason I woke up was because Harper screamed out, otherwise she could have been the next Maddie McCann.
“When I opened my eyes I thought I was dreaming I was in so much shock. I started screaming and I startled her as she tried to pick Harper up.
“My partner came running in, seeing me on the bed trying to cover myself and our daughter was crying.
“He asked what she was doing but she could not speak a word of English, she made a phone call and immediately left the room.
“We were furious and we made our way down to the reception and demanded the hotel manager immediately.
“I was absolutely hysterical, but the hotel management just said she was cleaning the room and picked up my baby to check she was alright.
“But it was rubbish. That woman had no cleaning products on her and it was the afternoon so our room had already been cleaned.
“I was naked in the bed, what kind of person walks into a room when a woman is lying naked on the bed? She let herself in with the aim to try and steal our baby.
“I reported it to the police, and the British consulate but no one seems to be listening.
“I find it shocking - you’d think after what happened to Maddie McCann they would want to get this woman off the streets. She could be very dangerous.”
Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished in 2007 from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz as her parents dined with friends at a tapas bar nearby. The McCanns have spoken of their bitter regret about leaving her and two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie alone. The missing girl would now be a teenager. The family has never given up the search for their daughter and remain hopeful she is alive.
Prescott says she has since been told the cleaner in question had been sacked from the hotel two years ago following an ‘incident’ - and the day they encountered her in their room was her first day back.
Prescott added: “I am lucky to have woken up, but if I hadn’t God knows what would have happened.
“Harper could have easily been snatched and we would be in the exact same situation as Kate and Gerry McCann.”
The hotel sent a statement to the South West News Service on Monday apparently confirming the incident had taken place.
It said: “I would like to inform you that the information you have does correspond to reality.”
But on Tuesday it appeared to retract the statement and instead issued a correction denying the family’s claims.
The second statement said: “Do not correspond to reality.”
A spokesperson for online travel agent Sunmaster Ltd, through which the holiday was booked, said: “We received a customer complaint and we are aware of some issues which are being investigated accordingly.”