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Updated: 17:47, Sunday May 06, 2007

The parents of missing toddler Madeleine McCann have again thanked everyone for their support as the search continues for their daughter.

Speaking after a church service in Portugal Kate McCann said: "We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone, but in particular the local community here who have offered so much support.

"I couldn't ask for more - I just want to say thank you. Please continue to pray for Madeleine, she's lovely."

Choking back his tears her husband Gerry said: "From today's service the things we will take are strength, courage and hope and we continue to hope for the best possible outcome for us and for Maddy."

The couple have released photographs of the three-year-old on holiday in the Algarve before she went missing.

A colleague of Kate's has offered a £100,000 reward for Madeleine's safe return.

A special mass was also held at the family's home church in Leicestershire where Madeleine's brother and sister were christened.

Police have confirmed the youngster was abducted - but say they are hopeful she is still alive.

Detectives have a suspect in mind and have put together a sketch, but refuse to reveal any more details for fear of endangering her life.

Guilhermino Encarnacao, the director of judicial police in Faro, added that the police had received more than 30 calls with possible new lines of inquiry, all of which were being followed up.

She went missing from her bedroom in a holiday apartment in the town of Praia da Luz while her parents were eating in the hotel dining room 40 yards away.

Madeleine was last seen by her father sleeping soundly at around 9pm on Thursday at the resort in the south-western Algarve.

But at 10pm, when her mother went to check on her, she found the shutter slid up, the bedroom window open and her daughter gone.

The search area around the hotel has been widened and hundreds of locals and holidaymakers have joined police in the hunt for the toddler.

Source: Sky News


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I have been following this story since Friday and it's heartbreaking. It was pointed out in another thread that there is no thread about it, so I've created this one. I will update it as news comes in.