Madeleine's mother speaks of sadness

London: Kate McCann wept uncontrollably yesterday as she spoke of her sadness and loneliness since the disappearance of her four-year-old daughter Madeleine.

But Mrs McCann feels her daughter is alive and being held in a house in the Iberian peninsula or North Africa.

Interviewed for a Spanish television channel, Mrs McCann said: "I feel sad and lonely and life is not as happy without Madeleine. I feel anxious she is not with us."

Asked about whether she still believed her daughter was alive she said: "Maybe more so. I think she is possibly being held by someone in their house but I don't know. As Madeleine's mummy I feel in my heart she is there. I don't know how anyone could harm anyone as beautiful as Madeleine. I don't mean her appearance. I mean as a beautiful person."

But she added that continual allegations about her involvement in Madeleine's disappearance from the family's rented apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz on May 3 would not deter her from playing an active part in finding her.

It is the first time Mrs McCann and her husband Gerry, both 39-year-old doctors from Rothley, Leicestershire, have given a television interview since being made official suspects.

They spoke on the programme, shown on the advice of private investigators to coincide with the launch of posters featuring Madeleine and a dedicated, confidential 24-hour phone line in Spain, Portugal and North Africa, which they hope will attract leads in the hunt for her.

The couple gave the interview to Antena 3 instead of some of the big names who have approached them, including Oprah Winfrey, the American broadcaster, because of sightings of the little girl nearby and because they believe, according to heir spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, it is where Madeleine is "most likely to be".

A source close to the family added the Portuguese judicial police have received additional information from the area, though they have not shared the details with the McCanns or their lawyers because of privacy laws.

Mr McCann, a cardiologist, said: "We want people to come forward with any information whatsoever that can help to find her."

His wife added: "It is six months and I strongly believe Madeleine is out there and we have to do everything we can. We just want to appeal to the people of Spain, Portugal and North Africa to help us.

"Somebody knows something. It is not about us. It is about Madeleine. We have not seen her since she was four. She needs our help. She needs her family."

Although they are still suspects and therefore prevented from discussing any details of the case, the couple again insisted they were entirely innocent and remained confident they would be proved so.

Mrs McCann declared herself "100 per cent" sure while Mr McCann said he was "much more optimistic" since Portugal's second most senior detective, Paulo Rebelo, took over the case.