The film, Madeline tells the story of a young girl who runs away

BBC chiefs have apologised to the McCann family after scheduling a film during last weekend's anniversary of her disappearance, about a girl who runs away - called "Madeline".

Corporation planners failed to notice that it was the first anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance when she vanished from her family's holiday apartment on May 3 last year.

Unaware of the date, they arranged to show on BBC One the 1998 children's film "Madeline", about an orphan who runs away and manages to foil a kidnap plot, starring Nigel Hawthorne.

The mistake was spotted at the last minute and the BBC hastily replaced the film with a 2005 Lindsay Lohan movie called Herbie Fully Loaded.

Yesterday the BBC apologised to the McCanns and admitted the family were aware of the mistake.

A spokesman said: "The film Madeline was scheduled to be shown on Sunday but was rescheduled and is now going to be shown at a later date.

Scroll down for more ...

The BBC have been forced to apologise to Kate and Gerry McCann for their scheduling blunder

"It was very close to the one year anniversary of Madeleine McCann disappearing and they are some parallels between the story in the film and the true story of Madeleine.

Madeleine disappeared on May 3, last year, while she was on holiday in Portugal

"Nobody really spotted the connection - when it was finally spotted it was pointed out to the controller of BBC daytime, Liam Keelan, and it was switched.

"I believe the family were aware of it at the time

 and the BBC would not wish to be insensitive to the McCanns and so it was rescheduled and we apologise for any upset."

But a friend of the McCanns in Rothley, Leicestershire, said: "It is disgraceful that the BBC of all people should be so insensitive and not spot this was going to happen.

"Surely with everything that has happened this year, any executive would notice if their station broadcast a film called Madeline involving a kidnapped child? Would than not ring alarm bells?

"It's not that they should never show the film but someone must have checked it was appropriate and checked the dates it was being aired.

"It's things like that which must be upsetting to Kate and Gerry."

The BBC said they had arranged the TV schedules months in advance - all the TV listings in print and online listed the film Madeline being aired at 2.55pm last Sunday.

Kate and Gerry spent last weekend thanking the thousands of people who have helped them search for their missing daughter and urged others to keep on looking.

During a 30-minute service at Rothley's Anglican Parish Church of St Mary and St John, Mrs McCann asked fellow worshippers to "pray like mad" for their daughter's safe return.