A Hampshire businessman who has paid for thousands of posters of missing Madeleine McCann is handing them out to motorists today.

John Sandford-Hart will be sticking his 20,000 self-adhesive posters on cars, lorries and vans that pass along the busy A303 between Andover, Hants and Amesbury in Wiltshire.

His hope is that these vehicles will then travel across the country or abroad highlighting the little girl's plight.

Mr Sandford-Hart, who runs a sign firm in Ringwood, will be waiting at the Solstice Park Services in Amesbury today with two 5ft banners showing Madeleine's distinctive eye.

Tomorrow he plans to target the Tesco superstore in Salisbury, Wiltshire, sticking his posters to vehicles which pass along the A36 Southampton Road.

He said: ''Instead of handing out posters, we have made them self-adhesive so we can stick them on cars, lorries and vans coming through.

''We will also have donation buckets out for the fighting fund.''