MILLIONAIRE Wilmslow businessman Brian Kennedy is giving financial backing to the parents of missing Madeleine McCann.
And he has provided staff from his own Wilmslow business HQ to help.
The owner of Sale Sharks rugby union club said he felt ‘compelled’ to support Gerry and Kate McCann following the accusations made against them.
Speculation had been growing about a mystery benefactor who was said to be helping meet the growing costs faced by the couple.
Now Mr Kennedy has put the financial clout of his Wilmslow based Latium business group behind the McCanns, who Portuguese police have made formal suspects in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Mr Kennedy said in a statement: "In the light of the quite literally incredible accusations against Gerry and Kate McCann, which are clearly exacerbating their emotional torture, I felt compelled to offer, along with other like-minded businessmen, financial support and the full logistical support of the Latium team. That support is principally our in-house lawyer Ed Smethurst and (spokesman) Clarence Mitchell.
"This will relieve the McCanns of the daily pressure of co-ordinating the legal teams that will expedite the clearing of Gerry and Kate’s names, allowing all parties to re-focus on finding Madeleine."
Edinburgh-born Mr Kennedy made his fortune in double-glazing and home improvements. His companies have included Weatherseal Holdings, Everest and Space Kitchens & Bedrooms.
The Latium Group of companies, based on Grove Street, has an annual turnover of about £400m and is involved in plastics moulding, conservatory roof manufacture, glass processing, home improvement retailing and property.
Experts place his personal fortune at around £250million.
He previously owned Stockport County FC through his company Cheshire Sports.
Former Stockport County MD, Kevan Taylor, said: "I have not experienced Brian doing anything quite like this before.
"But I can say that I have observed him being incredibly supportive of people who have worked for him who fell ill.
"He ensured they and their families had the best possible private medical care."
Mr Taylor, now a finance director with the Lawn Tennis Association, added: "Although Brian is an extremely private person, he is a genuinely very generous man.
"Let’s just say that when I first read the news I said ‘oh’...but then I wasn’t really surprised at all."
Mr Kennedy, a Jehovah’s Witness, has also put his financial clout to help build a church in recent years and gave Wilmslow High School funds to build an electronics workshop last year.
Born in Edinburgh, the son of a window cleaner, he opted to go into accountancy rather than go to university at the age of 18.
While working as a trainee accountant, Mr Kennedy saw potential as a salesman.
He later set up Genesis Communications in Trafford, which was once the fastest-growing mobile communications business in Britain, and bought Sale Sharks in 1999 followed by Everest Windows in 2000.
He is married with five children and divides his time between homes in Cheshire and Spain.
