Six years on, and Madeleine’s parents refuse to give up hope

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 tapas restaurant with friends nearby.

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

Mr and Mrs McCann, 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,” Mr 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.”

His wife 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.”

The couple, who will mark the anniversary with a service in their village, said although they struggle with various occasions, including Madeleine’s birthday, they are coping with her absence.

“Probably the last couple of years it’s been a new normality,” said Mr McCann. “We have adapted to our situation.

“There isn’t so much intrusion and we’re not in the public eye very much so those pressures have disappeared.

“The thing for Kate and I was always about having a proper search and turning over every stone and we feel like that is being done.”

But he said that did not mean they did not still have hope: “Of course we miss Madeleine terribly but we still hope that we will find her.

“We are still in the same situation and for us we have got to keep going until we find Madeleine and those responsible.”

Mrs McCann, 45, said every sighting – especially in the early weeks and months – used to get their hopes up, but that had stopped happening.

“I get friends and family who get in touch with me when they read about sightings, but I just think unless I have been contacted I don’t think it’s got any credibility.”

The family will mark the anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance with a service in Rothley, they said, and do not really have any other plans.

They said various markers in their daughter’s life were difficult, even as the years passed, including her birthday on May 12.

“Her birthday is difficult,” said Mrs McCann. “We both find that more difficult really because it’s her special day and we should be there celebrating it and we still do.

“We still celebrate her anyway, and the same will happen this year, we have a little birthday tea and a cake.

“That’s a much harder day for us really.”