A 63-year-old woman who was accused of directing abuse at the family of Madeleine McCann has been found dead in a hotel room.

Brenda Leyland, from Burton Overy, Leicestershire was accused of being one of the "twitter trolls" who directed abusive messages at the family of the missing girl.

According to BBC News, Leyland was found dead in her hotel room after she was confronted by a Sky News reporter outside her home.

A spokesman for Leicestershire Police said: "Police were called at 13:42 on Saturday 4 October to reports of a body of a woman in a hotel room in Smith Way, Grove Park [in Leicester].

"Officers have attended the scene and a file is being prepared for the coroner. The death is not being treated as suspicious."

Sky also issued a statement saying: "We were saddened to hear of the death of Brenda Leyland. It would be inappropriate to speculate or comment further at this time."

Madeleine's father, Gerry McCann, told BBC News on Friday that "something needs to be done about the abuse on the internet."

Madeleine McCann disappeared while on holiday in 2007.