Madeleine McCann's parents in Liverpool to mark anniverary

May 4 2008

Kate and Gerry McCann are hoping to slip out of the public spotlight today after marking the first anniversary of their daughter Madeleine’s disappearance.

The couple attended two special church services to remember the little girl yesterday, exactly 12 months after she vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, southern Portugal.

A tearful Mrs McCann urged people to “pray like mad” for Madeleine at a morning service in the couple’s home village of Rothley, Leicestershire.

Then she, her husband and their two other children, three-year-old twins Sean and Amelie, travelled to Liverpool for a Mass in the church where they were married.

Part of the service at Bishop Eton Monastery - the parish church of Mrs McCann’s parents - was taken by Father Paul Seddon, who married the McCanns in 1998 and later baptised Madeleine.

The couple were said to be extremely emotional after commemorating yesterday’s sombre landmark.

They would spend today quietly with relatives and friends, family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said.

In a new interview, Mrs McCann said she was looking forward to being out of the public eye after her daughter’s fifth birthday on May 12.

“The media attention will wane after Madeleine’s birthday, and that’s a relief,” she said.

“I’d like to think that’s how it will stay. That’s why now, we’re doing this. Media-wise it could be our last chance, or last opportunity to get all that information in.”

The McCanns wanted to be in Portugal yesterday but their lawyers advised them not to return while they remained arguidos, or formal suspects, in Madeleine’s disappearance.

Instead four of their relatives - Mr McCann’s brother John, his sister Trish Cameron, her husband Sandy, and Mrs McCann’s cousin Michael Wright - travelled to Praia da Luz on their behalf.

John McCann said his brother and sister-in-law were clinging to the hope that their daughter will be found, adding: “They had a lovely holiday until Madeleine was taken.

“They had fantastic support from the people of Luz and from many different parts of Portugal.

“And yet associated with Praia da Luz is a lot of pain, a lot of emotional turmoil, and it is a hard time for them.

“On the balance of things they thought the best thing to do was to stay at home and look after the two children that remain with them.”

The four relatives attended a service at Praia da Luz’s church of Our Lady of Light last night.

An emotional message from Mrs McCann thanking people in the village for their “heart-warming and overwhelming” support was read out in the church.

Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that Brian Kennedy, the McCanns’ millionaire backer, met Robert Murat, the first official suspect in the case in November last year.

Francisco Pagarete, Mr Murat’s lawyer, confirmed the meeting took place at Mr Murat’s aunt’s house in the Algarve.

He told the BBC: “He came here to give his support to Robert and to say he doesn’t believe Robert was involved in this story in any way or sense.

“And he asked if Robert could help the investigation for the finding of Madeleine in any way.”

Mr Pagarete said Mr Kennedy promised to stay in touch with Mr Murat but had not contacted him since.

It is understood the meeting took place was also attended by Mr Kennedy’s in-house lawyer, Edward Smethurst, who is co-ordinating the McCanns’ legal affairs.

Mr Kennedy informed Portuguese detectives after he met Mr Murat and is adamant he did not commit any offences under Portuguese law.

The meeting is said to have been a simple “information-gathering exercise” and does not imply that the McCanns suspect Mr Murat in any way.

Portugal’s most senior detective, Alipio Ribeiro, yesterday insisted that police were still collecting evidence in the case, following reports that officers were on the verge of exonerating the McCanns.