Madeleine's father said: "They have offered us the most unbelievable support and I am not sure how we would have functioned without them here." When the McCanns travelled around Europe to promote the Find Madeleine campaign, Trisha and Sandy stayed in the Algarve to look after their twins Sean and Amelie. A family spokesman said the Camerons were "like second parents" to the McCann children.
Gerry and Kate wanted the twins to have "a safe environment" and "normal routine" while they went to countries including Italy, Spain and Germany, he said at the time of one of their trips.
Writing on his blog, Gerry paid tribute to his sister and brother-in-law for their help.
"They have been the silent face of the campaign to find Madeleine, putting their lives on hold to help us get through each difficult day."