Madeleine McCann parents ‘closer’ to truth

Agencies/London

But Kate and Gerry McCann said they have found a “new normality” over the past few years as they come to terms with the absence of their oldest child.

Madeleine was nearly four when she disappeared from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal’s Algarve on May 3, 2007 as her parents dined at a restaurant with friends nearby.

Tomorrow will mark the six-year anniversary of her disappearance.

The McCanns, from Rothley, Leicestershire, said they continue to search for their daughter and remain as hopeful as ever - if not more so. Though another year has passed since Madeleine went missing, they are confident they might be in a better position as the Metropolitan Police continue to review the case.

“In many ways things haven’t changed and you could argue that, with the Met review two years in, we are actually in a better place because so much more information has been collated and lots of pieces of the jigsaw have been filled,” Gerry McCann, 44, told the Press Association.

“It’s just about keeping looking, find out what’s happened to Madeleine and hopefully finding those responsible.”

He said he was confident in work being carried out by the Met, adding: “This is what we campaigned for and Kate will tell you that the Met are absolutely determined to see the job through. They feel like they are getting their teeth into the job.” Kate McCann, 45, added: “When people come in they are always really enthusiastic to help and as time goes by, if you don’t yield results people’s motivation can wane. I think the opposite has happened with the Met. They seem to be more determined than ever.”