Timeline Of Events 50 Days, Still Hoping

Four-year-old Madeleine McCann from Rothley, Leicestershire, disappeared on May 3 during a holiday with her parents in the Algarve region of southern Portugal.Here is a chronology of developments:May 3 - The girl goes missing from her bedroom between 9.30 and 10 p.m. while her parents Kate and Gerry are dining just 100 yards away at the Mark Warner Ocean Club holiday resort in Praia da Luz. A window and shutter are open and she is presumed to have been abducted.May 4 - McCann family members and British media criticise local police for what they call a slow initial response, failure to notify ports and borders in time, and failure to secure the crime scene, which may have led to vital clues being lost.Police say that under Portuguese secrecy laws they are unable to reveal details of the investigation.May 5 - Police say they have put together a sketch of a suspect and confirm they believe Madeleine is still alive and being held within three miles of the crime scene. Media reports say the sketch is vague and only features the back of a man's head.May 8 - Police say they have investigated 350 suspicious incidents but still have no idea where she might be.Portuguese newspaper Correio de Manha says Madeleine may have been kidnapped by a paedophile ring.Two criminal behaviour experts fly in from Britain.Manchester United's Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo joins appeals for her release.May 10 - The search around the resort winds down. Attention focuses on a blonde woman seen acting suspiciously before the girl's disappearance.May 11 - Scottish businessman Stephen Winyard offers a one million pound reward.Former England soccer captain David Beckham makes televised appeal for information.May 12 - Madeleine turns four.May 13 - Virgin boss Richard Branson, author J.K. Rowling and footballer Wayne Rooney are among those to have contributed to rewards now totalling 2.5 million pounds.May 13 - Half a million pilgrims attending the 90th anniversary of the first appearance of the Virgin Mary at the Sanctuary of Fatima pray for Madeleine's return.May 14 - Her parents say they will not return home until they have found her but say they think she is safe.Police search a villa just up the road from where Madeleine was snatched and take a British man, Robert Murat, to a police station for questioning. He is later released.May 15 - Police say they have identified a suspect but do not have enough evidence for an arrest.Five properties have been searched in the area, and two other people questioned as witnesses.May 16 - Deputy PM John Prescott tells parliament the government is doing everything it can to support Madeleine's parents.Portuguese police interview a computer technician as a witness, identified by local media as a Russian man, and take away computers for examination.Family sets up public appeal fund.May 17 - Web site, www.findmadeleine.com, is launched.May 18 - Multi-national companies help distribute appeal posters.Several newspapers have started talking of media overkill.May 19 - Appeals are broadcast at the F.A. Cup final at the new Wembley stadium.May 25 - Gerry and Kate McCann speak of their guilt over Madeleine's disappearance.May 30 - They meet Pope Benedict during a general audience at the VaticanJune 1 - The couple travel to neighbouring Spain where they hold a news conference to appeal for help from Spanish police.June 6 - They take their appeal to Berlin. The Algarve is popular among Germans. They move on to Amsterdam. After British and German tourists, the largest group of nationals who make up the tourists in the Algarve are the Dutch.June 7 - On their return to the Algarve, a classical and jazz concert is held in honour of Madeleine.Web site has received more than 170 million hits.June 10 - The couple fly to Morocco. British media reports suggest it might be the last country they visit before "taking stock" of their campaign.June 13 - Police start searching an area of deserted scrubland 20 km north of Praia da Luz after a tip-off to a Dutch newspaper. They find nothing.June 20 - On a visit to London, Gerry McCann has his wallet stolen. He loses precious pictures of MadeleineJune 21 - Police in Malta check two reports of possible sightings.June 22 - Worldwide balloon release to mark the 50th day since Madeleine's disappearance.

School in Madeliene Tribute

Children at the school Madeleine McCann should be starting in September are lending their help in the search for the missing four-year-old.They have spelled out the words "Find Madeleine" in the grounds of Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary in Leicester.It comes after Portuguese police said Madeleine McCann's family and friends may have destroyed vital evidence in the hours after she was snatched.The Inspector leading the case claims so many crowded into the room where she was taken, it was proving difficult for forensic teams.More than 20 people entered the apartment in Praia da Luz the night Madeleine went missing over six weeks ago.

Straight from the news

LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese police on Monday searched a villa up the road from where four-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann was snatched and took a British man to a police station for questioning, local television reported.Local broadcaster SIC Noticias said a member of the family at the villa often spoke to reporters and had said Madeleine looked like his daughter in England.Police sealed the villa for forensic tests, SIC Noticias said. The man is said to have helped Portuguese police and had acted as a translator.The search took place as the parents of the girl kidnapped 11 days ago said they remained positive their daughter was safe and vowed to keep up the search for her."Until there is concrete evidence to the contrary, we believe that Madeleine is safe and being looked after and that is how we can continue in our efforts,' said Gerry McCann in a statement read to reporters on Monday."We can't even consider returning home at the moment, I absolutely can't even let it enter my head," his wife, Kate, said when asked when she was considering going home.The McCanns praised the Portuguese police for their work and thanked people for the widespread support they had received.Celebrity donations have pushed up the reward offered for Madeleine's safe return to 2.6 million pounds.Harry Potter author JK Rowling, tycoons Sir Philip Green and Sir Richard Branson, Wayne Rooney and Simon Cowell have all contributed and a special fighting fund is being set up.It was the first time Kate McCann had answered questions from the media since Madeleine was snatched from her bed on May 3 in a popular resort in the Algarve in southern Portugal, just yards from where her parents were dining in a nearby restaurant.On Sunday Portugal's leading investigator, Olegario Sousa, said some potential leads had been eliminated, but there have been no arrests in connection with Madeleine's abduction

HOT OF THE PRESS! We have a suspect!

Portuguese police said on Tuesday they have identified a suspect in their investigation of the kidnapping of four-year-old Madeleine McCann.On Monday they searched a villa close to the complex from where she went missing more than a week ago and took away a British man, Robert Murat, for questioning."There is a suspect," a spokeswoman for the judicial police said but gave no further details.It was not immediately clear whether the suspect had been arrested. In Portugal police can identify a suspect without arresting the person.Murat often spoke to reporters in the days just after the disappearance of Madeleine, saying she looked like his daughter in England. His mother's house, "Casa Liliana," is about 150 metres from the resort apartment where the McCann family was staying when their daughter disappeared.Local television showed images of the house, which had a large green gate.Police were seen leaving the house late on Monday after entering it early in the day. Police drained the swimming pool at the house, according to local media.A British man questioned by police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been officially classed as a "suspect".Robert Murat was questioned late on Monday night while forensic experts searched his house just yards from where the four-year-old was snatched 12 days ago.He was one of three people questioned by detectives in the town of Portimao. All three were released overnight.Although he has not been charged and is not believed to be in custody, it is thought he is the first person to be formally classed as a suspect.Among items taken from the house which was searched on Monday night were videotapes and a computer, witnesses said.Under Portuguese law, people who are questioned are not under arrest but simply treated as witnesses.Arrests can only be made when police consider someone a suspect or possible suspect and then they require a court order before they can be cast as such.Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa, spokesman for the Madeleine McCann investigation, said on Tuesday that a British man in his thirties taken from the house which was searched has now been classed as an "arguido".Madeleine was snatched from her bed in the resort town of Praia da Luz on May 3 while her parents were dining nearby. There has been no news of her whereabouts since.

First suspect in maddy case.... I'm A Scapegoat

The first formal suspect in the investigation into the abduction of Madeleine McCann says he has been made a "scapegoat".Robert Murat spoke for the first time since being questioned by Portuguese police as Madeleine's family prepared to step up its international campaign to find her.The former property developer said he would only survive the ordeal if Madeleine's abductor was caught to clear his name.Efforts to that end will step up a gear when Madeleine's uncle and aunt John and Philomena McCann lobby MPs and Lords in parliament to support their cause.Portuguese police said they did not have enough evidence to formally arrest or charge their suspect.Mr Murat was questioned while his house, just yards from where the four-year-old was snatched from her bed, was searched by forensic experts.Speaking off camera to Sky News he said: "This has ruined my life and has made things very difficult for my family here and in Britain."The only way I will survive this is if they catch Madeleine's abductor."I have been made a scapegoat for something I did not do."Mr Murat's mother's villa, at the end of the road which leads to the flat where the McCanns were staying when the youngster was snatched, was one of five properties in the area of Praia Da Luz which was searched.Despite the intense focus near the flat where they are living, waiting for a breakthrough, the McCanns have carried on with family life as normal.

Gordon Brown shows support with the rest of government.... bring her home!

Chancellor Gordon Brown offered to help the family of Madeleine McCann on Wednesday as they continued their search in Portugal for the missing four-year-old.The girl's aunt Philomena McCann said Brown gave her "moral support", while Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott told MPs the government was doing "everything it could to help".Some MPs wore yellow ribbons in support of the family, who are enduring their 13th day since Madeleine was snatched from their villa on the Algarve in southern Portugal."Like everyone in the country, we hope and pray for the safe return of Madeleine," Prescott told parliament.In Leicester, Gerry and Kate McCann's family, friends and colleagues launched a fund to help pay for the rising costs of the search."This fund will be a vehicle to help our family get our darling wee niece back," the girl's uncle John McCann told a news conference.Former England rugby union captain Martin Johnson lent his support, saying: "As a parent, as a father, it really does hit home."Portuguese police said on Tuesday they had identified a suspect in their investigation.A day earlier, they searched a villa close to the complex from where Madeleine went missing and took away a British man, Robert Murat, for questioning."There is a suspect," a spokeswoman for the judicial police said but there is not enough evidence to make an arrest."The judicial police continue to follow the strongest lead and we hope that in the short term there will be more developments," chief inspector Olegario Sousa told a news conference.Murat often spoke to reporters in the days just after the May 3 disappearance of Madeleine, saying she looked like his daughter in England.His mother's house, "Casa Liliana," is about 150 metres from the resort apartment where the McCann family was staying when their daughter disappeared.

Search To Be Extended Across Europe!!!

Police are investigating a web designer linked to the key suspect in the Madeleine McCann investigation.Detectives swooped on the home of 22-year-old Sergey Malinka, who designed a website for suspect Robert Murat, in Praia da Luz.After spending two hours inside, the plain clothes officers emerged carrying two hard drives, a laptop and a black bin bag full of items.Mr Malinka, who neighbours said was Russian and lived in the town for around seven years, was brought out by the detectives and driven off.During the search a courtyard surrounding the entrance to his apartment where he was believed to live with his parents, was sealed off.The search followed the announcement on Tuesday by Portugal's Policia Judiciaria that they now had a suspect.Mr Murat, who strenuously denies any involvement in Madeleine's abduction, was taken in for questioning by the PJ two nights ago before being released.While he was being questioned, police were searching his mother's house just a short distance from where Madeleine was snatched. Among items said to have been removed was a computer and other communications equipment.Although police say they do not have enough evidence to charge or even formally arrest Mr Murat, he is the first person they have formally cast as a "Arguido" - suspect.The latest twist in the case came on the day that relatives of the McCanns launched a fighting fund to pay for international efforts aimed at bringing Madeleine home safely.

Search To Be Extended Across Europe!!!

The parents of a four-year-old British girl who went missing in southern Portugal two weeks ago will extend their search for their daughter across Europe, a close relative said Thursday.Michael Wright told a news conference outside the resort in Praia da Luz from where Madeleine McCann vanished on May 3 that posters bearing the little girl's face would soon appear across the continent."If Madeleine is not in Portugal, we want to make sure people have an image of her across Europe. This can only help," he said.A fund set up by the family on Wednesday to gather donations had received offers of financial help from private citizens and multinationals which would help make the European poster campaign possible, he added.The fund's website received five million hits on Thursday, Wright said, adding that Madeleine's parents were encouraged by the help they were receiving."Jerry and Kate are taking strength from the support they are receiving around the world," he said."They are trying to keep the focus on what they can do rather than go to the dark places of the early days," he added.The search for Madeleine has dominated headlines and topped newscasts in Britain and Portugal. She was aged three when she disappeared but turned four on May 12.Police earlier this week identified a 33-year-old British man who lives in Praia da Luz as a suspect but said they did not have enough evidence to charge him.

Car Hire Probed

The only suspect in the abduction of Madeleine McCann has denied there was anything sinister in his hiring a car two days after the four-year-old disappeared from her holiday apartment.Staff at the car rental firm in Praia da Luz, Portugal, grew suspicious about Robert Murat's behaviour when he came in on Saturday and reported him to police. Documents show he hired a Hyundai Getz from Auto Rent III from Saturday to Tuesday.Anglo-Portuguese Mr Murat, 33, was interviewed on Monday and the following day he was named as the first "arguido" or suspect in the case.Car rental sales assistant Maria Rocio said: "There was something about his voice when he asked for the car. He was saying, 'I need to have the car quickly'. His voice was very impatient. When I said he could not have it straightaway, he said, 'Oh, maybe I need to try somewhere else'."But Tuck Price, a Murat family friend, said Mr Murat only needed the hire car because his mother Jenny was using their one vehicle to transport tables for a stall appealing for information about Madeleine.Mr Murat's home in Praia da Luz, just yards from the spot where four-year-old Madeleine was abducted 15 days ago, has been the centre of intense police activity.The Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha has reported that police have so far found no traces of Madeleine anywhere in Mr Murat's villa. Mr Murat has told police he was at home with his mother on the night Madeleine went missing.Although police say they do not have enough evidence to charge or even formally arrest Mr Murat, he is the first person they have formally classed as a suspect. Mr Murat strenuously denies any involvement in Madeleine's abduction, but faces jail under Portuguese law if he speaks out to clear his name.The international campaign to find Madeleine is gathering pace, with more than 50 million people visiting a new website appealing for information about her abduction, according to its organisers. Meanwhile detectives are examining telephone calls between Mr Murat and a Russian computer expert on the night the little girl was abducted.Sergey Malinka, 22, who designed a website for Mr Murat, insisted he had nothing to do with Madeleine's disappearance after being questioned by detectives until the early hours of Thursday morning

Parents Still Remain Hopeful

The parents of four-year-old Madeleine McCann, who vanished more than two weeks ago from a Portuguese resort, remain positive she will be found, the priest who married the couple said on Friday."They remain very, very positive and will do all that they can to find Madeleine," Father Seddon told journalists at the Praia da Luz resort where Madeleine was abducted 15 days ago.He said her father, Gerry, had told him he could see light at the end of the tunnel and that everything was still possible."Gerry spoke of a tidal wave of destruction that Madeleine's disappearance had caused him but then he said he was met by a tidal wave of empathy and love which has been turned into action and hope," he said.Chief inspector Olegario Sousa said late on Thursday police continued to follow their strongest lead in the investigation, which has centred on foreigners in the small resort.So far one suspect has been identified by police -- a 33-year-old who lives in the area -- but his name has not been made public.The search for Madeleine has received widespread media attention all over the world.Soccer stars including David Beckham and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo have made appeals for Madeleine while wealthy individuals, including author JK Rowling, have offered large rewards for information leading to her return

Maddie Sited In Morocco???

A Norwegian tourist has claimed she might have spotted Madeleine McCann in Morocco.Marie Olli, who lives in Spain and once lived in Leicestershire, says she saw a blonde girl who looked just like the four-year-old at a petrol station in the city of Marrakech nine days ago.The "sad" girl initially appeared to be standing on her own, but Olli claims an "anonymous-looking" man in his late 30s then came over and the girl asked him: "Can I see mummy soon?"News of this alleged sighting comes as it has been revealed a video appealing for the whereabouts of Madeleine will be shown at the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London.The two-minute clip was earlier screened at the Uefa Cup final between Sevilla and Espanyol in Glasgow on Wednesday.Madeleine was abducted 16 days ago as she slept in her bed in her parents' holiday apartment in the seaside village of Praia da Luz, Portugal.Her parents have restated their belief that their daughter will be found.Family priest, Father Paul Seddon, who is in Portugal to support the McCanns, revealed that mum and dad, Gerry and Kate have never stopped believing that they will see four-year-old Madeleine again.He said the initial shock of the disappearance lead to a "feeling of helplessness and devastation", but they had overcome it."Gerry and Kate would not allow it - they knew it would have simply destroyed them as people and reduced the chance of finding Madeleine," Father Seddon added.Rewards amounting to £2.5 million have been offered to anyone with information which could lead to the safe return of the four-year-old.Meanwhile, it has emerged that there have been inconsistencies in a key witness's accounts of his relationship with the only suspect in the case.Computer expert Sergey Malinka, 22, is believed to have told police that he had not spoken to British suspect, Robert Murat for a year, but according to a newspaper, phone records indicate that he was called by Murat on the night Madeleine went missing.Portuguese police are continuing to examine telephone calls between the pair.

Maddys Father to come home.... Maddys Mother Cant Bear To Leave Portugal

The father of missing Madeleine McCann is set to fly to the UK to make arrangements for the international campaign to find his daughter.Gerry McCann is expected to spend just over 24 hours away from his wife Kate and twin children Sean and Amelie in the family's first time apart since Madeleine's abduction.Mr McCann is making the visit to deal with "personal matters" as well as to meet organisers of the Find Madeleine fund.Mrs McCann will remain at the family's temporary holiday apartment in Praia da Luz where they continue to wait for news of the four-year-old who was snatched from her bed 17 days ago.Mr McCann is expected to be back by his wife's side on Tuesday morning.A spokeswoman for the family in Portugal said: "He will be talking to the people who are organising the fund."Although it will be the first time the couple, who have repeatedly stood together hand in hand appealing for their daughter's return, have been separated since the abduction the spokeswoman emphasised that Mr McCann was returning to Britain to do "positive" things.She said: "He's very focussed, he is going out there for very practical reasons and he's going to get back here as quickly as he can."It is thought that the visit would enable the couple to set matters in order to enable them to stay in Portugal for the foreseeable future while they wait for Madeleine's return.Last week Mrs McCann said that she "couldn't even consider" leaving Portugal at present.

Minutes Silence held For Maddy

An unofficial one minute's silence has been held for missing Madeleine McCann.The four-year-old's mother, Kate McCann, observed the midday silence, said Sky News correspondent Ian Woods in Portugal.She slipped into her apartment after praying for 50 minutes in a church in Praia Da Luz.The silence was organised by an anonymous viral email so it was not thought to be widely observed.Tourist Catherine Morrisson, 59, of County Cork, was among those to fall silent in a Praia Da Luz supermarket."It was a brilliant idea to show respect for the family and friends and relatives," she said.Meanwhile, the father of Madeleine is in the UK for his first visit home since his daughter was abducted 18 days ago.Gerry McCann will use his trip to meet organisers of the Find Madeleine fund and attend to personal matters - in preparation for an expected prolonged stay in Portugal.Brian Kennedy, Madeleine's uncle, told Sky News the visit would be a "short one".Mr McCann will also use the opportunity to pick up new pictures and videos to help with the international search campaign.He may visit the main square in his home village of Rothley, Leicestershire, where thousands of well-wishers have tied yellow ribbons.It is the first time he has been apart from wife Kate and two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie since Madeleine was taken from their Algarve holiday apartment.The McCanns have said they are convinced their daughter is still alive and have vowed to stay in the Algarve for the foreseeable future, co-ordinating an international campaign to get her back.They are believed to be considering a round-Europe mission to spread awareness of Madeleine's abduction in the hope that she will be found.:: The findmadeleine website, which carries a diary from the McCann family, has now received almost 100 million hits.That does not mean 100 million people have visited the site. Every web page download from a website may contain mulitple files that are included in the hits figure

Police Appeal For Holiday Snaps

British police have appealed for holiday snaps to help identify the person who abducted Madeleine McCann.They want anyone who took pictures in the Portuguese resort where the four-year-old went missing to send in their digital photographs.A special website been launched to receive the anticipated deluge of images.In Praia da Luz, Madeleine's mother, Kate McCann, observed an unofficial minute's silence at midday.The silence was organised by an anonymous viral email.Tourist Catherine Morrison, 59, of County Cork, was among those to fall silent in a Praia da Luz supermarket."It was a brilliant idea to show respect for the family and friends and relatives," she said.Madeleine's father is in the UK for his first visit home since his daughter was abducted 18 days ago.Gerry McCann is using the trip to meet organisers of the Find Madeleine fund and attend to personal matters - in preparation for an expected prolonged stay in Portugal.Brian Kennedy, Madeleine's uncle, told Sky News the visit would be a "short one".Mr McCann will also use the opportunity to pick up new pictures and videos to help with the international search campaign.He is expected to visit the main square in his home village of Rothley, Leicestershire, where thousands of well-wishers have tied yellow ribbons.It is the first time he has been apart from wife Kate and two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie since Madeleine was taken from their Algarve holiday apartment.The McCanns have said they are convinced their daughter is still alive and have vowed to stay in the Algarve for the foreseeable future, co-ordinating an international campaign to get her back.They are believed to be considering a round-Europe mission to spread awareness of Madeleine's abduction in the hope that she will be found.

Suspect Collapses

The only suspect in the case of abducted Madeleine McCann has collapsed in front of his family, a friend has said.It is the second time Robert Murat, 33, has fainted since he was questioned over the abduction of the four-year-old girl from her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3.As the father of missing Madeleine McCann visited the shrine to his missing daughter in his hometown on Monday, Tuck Price, a family friend of the Murats, said: "He collapsed right in front of his entire family."Mr Price said a doctor had checked Mr Murat and found no problems with his blood pressure, but he added that the faint showed the massive strain he has been under since being named as a suspect

Mccanns visit holiest site in Portugal to pray for Miracle

The parents of missing Madeleine McCann are to make a pilgrimage to the holiest site in Portugal to pray for a miracle: the safe return of their daughter.They will visit the town of Fatima, home to a shrine that is visited by millions of Catholic pilgrims every year.The trip may well prove to be the first step in an expected European tour aimed at spreading news of Madeleine's abduction across the continent.And it will be the first time since Madeleine's mother Kate McCann has left Praia da Luz since her daughter was snatched from the resort on May 3.Friends said Mrs McCann had considered making the four-hour trip even before Madeleine was abducted and has been set on making the journey ever since.The Sanctuary of Fatima was built to commemorate the events of 1917 when three peasant children claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary.Just 10 days ago, on the weekend of Madeleine's birthday, around 300,000 pilgrims flocked to Fatima to mark the 90th anniversary of one of the visions.Many were holding up pictures of Madeleine and praying for her safe return.Kate and Gerry McCann have said they will do what it takes to keep their daughter's image in the media spotlight, in the hope she will be returned."We will travel wherever is necessary to ensure people across Europe recognise Madeleine's picture and encourage them to come forward with information," Mr McCann said."We are going to monitor the media exposure throughout Europe and then we will decide along with our campaign manager and press team where we need to go to make maximum impact."

3 week milestone in hunt for maddy

Today marks three weeks since four-year-old Madeleine McCann was snatched from her bed - her parents are clinging to the hope that she is still alive and well.Gerry and Kate McCann, both 38, have spent the past 21 days waiting for news of their daughter's whereabouts.Police in the Algarve holiday resort of Praia de Luz have re-questioned two people over Madeleine's disappearance.But with no news on their daughter, the McCanns are now thought to be planning a European tour in a bid to spread their daughter's image across the continent in the hope that she will be spotted and rescued.Today they are expected to begin planning visits to several countries to make personal appeals.A spokesman for the McCanns said that discussions regarding the tour would begin in earnest over the next few days.Backed by an army of friends and family in Portugal and Britain, the campaign has attracted the attention of at least 115 million web users.Yesterday, they were showered with kisses and hugs as they left Portugal's holiest site in the town of Fatima before praying privately for almost an hour in a separate chapel.:: Later today in London there will be a large-scale projection onto Marble Arch of a new yellow ribbon symbol, as part of the rebranding of the Missing People charity.The charity, formerly the National Missing Persons Helpline, is officially relaunching tomorrow, on International Missing Children's Day.

Maddys uncle visits Missin People Charity to mark International Missin Childrens Day

Madeleine McCann's uncle has told of the family's devastation over the four-year-old's disappearance.John McCann spoke as he visited the Missing People charity to mark International Missing Children's Day.And he offered a message of hope to all other families who are missing a loved one.He said: "I'm sure that you all can relate to the horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach and the complete turmoil that hits us. The initial waves of sickness and mental upset was completely overwhelming."None of us was able to think clearly. We just could not take in that someone had done this to our wee lovely Madeleine. These things just don't happen to normal families. But it had."For all families that are coping with a disappearance, your pain will be like ours and some of them will have carried it for longer than we have."What I want to do is show that you can remain hopeful. The key part is realising that there is a channel of support and that is where the charity Missing People comes in."Meanwhile, Madeleine's parents have vowed not to lose hope as International Missing Children's Day is marked around the world.Madeleine will be the focus of many international events more than three weeks after she was snatched from her parents' holiday apartment in Praia Da Luz on the Algarve, Portugal.In a message carried in the Portuguese press, Gerry and Kate McCann identified with parents of missing children in all countries. "We, like parents of missing children around the world, will not lose hope," they said.

Mccanns will not 'lose hope'

The parents of abducted toddler Madeleine McCann have vowed not to lose hope as International Missing Children's Day is marked around the world.In a message carried this morning in the Portuguese press, Gerry and Kate McCann identified with parents of missing children in all countries.The couple thanked "everyone throughout Portugal and beyond for the overwhelming love, support and hospitality they have shown us since Madeleine's disappearance."The youngster was abducted from her holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, on the Algarve, Portugal, just over three weeks ago, as Mr and Mrs McCann dined nearby.The couple also praised Portuguese police for "their hard work and determination" during the investigation.They added: "We, like parents of missing children around the world, will not lose hope. The only thing that will make us happy is Madeleine's safe return, something every parent will understand."To mark International Missing Children's Day, a picture of the missing four-year-old was beamed onto Marble Arch in London last night.Later, Mrs McCann is expected to attend a private lunch with a children's charity as Madeleine becomes the focus of events across Europe.In Britain, Mr McCann's brother John visited the London head office of the National Missing Persons Helpline to highlight its work and spoke of the family's devastation over Madeleine's disappearance.He offered a message of hope to all other families who are missing a loved one.He said: "I'm sure that you all can relate to the horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach and the complete turmoil that hits us. The initial waves of sickness and mental upset was completely overwhelming."None of us was able to think clearly. We just could not take in that someone had done this to our wee lovely Madeleine. These things just don't happen to normal families. But it had."For all families that are coping with a disappearance, your pain will be like ours and some of them will have carried it for longer than we have."What I want to do is show that you can remain hopeful. The key part is realising that there is a channel of support and that is where the charity Missing People comes in."International Missing Children's Day originates from the disappearance on May 25, 1979, of six-year-old Etan Patz in New York. According to the US Department of Justice 797,500 children are reported missing each year.EU figures show that in Italy around 1,850 minors go missing each year, with just over 1,000 in Belgium. In the UK, Home Office estimates show 210,000 people reported missing each year with up to two-thirds under the age of 18.The figures include runaways and family tug-of-love snatches.

Mccann friend 'may have seen abduction'

friend of Madeleine McCann's parents may have seen her being carried away from her holiday apartment the night she vanished, police said.A "witness" reported seeing a man carrying "an object that could have been a child" in the Algarve village of Praia Da Luz at 9.30pm on May 3 - while Madeleine's parents were finishing dinner nearby.A source indicated on Friday night that the sighting - the most striking so far in the case - was by one of the couple's party who has not been named.On Friday night Policia Judiciaria finally released a description of the man seen that night in the face of possible legal action by Madeleine's parents.The information, likely to have been released early on as a matter of course in other countries, had to be sanctioned by the public prosecutor.It followed an "amicable" meeting with senior Portuguese police and the McCanns which is believed to have taken place on Thursday.It is thought the PJ have known about the sighting for three weeks but have not released it for that reason.The description - which tallies closely to details being circulated at the time but never publicised - is of a white man, approximately 35 to 40 years old, of medium build and 5ft 10ins tall. He was described as wearing a dark jacket, light beige trousers and dark shoes.On Friday the McCanns gave their first interviews and spoke of their feelings of "guilt" at not being there when their daughter was taken.But they defended themselves against accusations that they were irresponsible, outlining how they had an arrangement with other parents in their group to continually check on the children throughout the evening