The 100th day since Madeleine McCann went missing will be marked today amid claims of tensions between Portugese police and the four-year-old's parents.
The McCanns will spend today in Praia da Luz, the Algarve resort where she vanished on May 3. The couple are to take their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie to Praia da Luz's church of Nossa Senhora da Luz for a special prayer service. Back in the UK, worshippers at Catholic churches across the country will give bidding prayers for Madeleine at masses tonight and tomorrow.
Meanwhile, stars from the worlds of rugby, football and horse racing will urge people at major sporting events around the UK to help find the young girl. A short film recorded by England rugby hero Jonny Wilkinson appealing for support will be shown at half-time during his team's World Cup warm-up match against France. Everton - the football team supported by Madeleine and Mrs McCann - will show a video of the youngster during today's season opener against Wigan.
There has been a distinct hardening in the attitude of officers investigating the disappearance towards Gerry and Kate McCann this week, according to one source. On Monday, Mr McCann met senior officers in the case at the British Consulate in the Algarve for a routine briefing. When he and his wife next spoke with detectives two days later, the meeting took place at the police station in Portimao and the tone was much more formal, the source said.
There has been no suggestion from the police that the McCanns are now suspects, but the couple are understood to be apprehensive about the change. It coincided with some Portuguese newspapers suggesting that police now believe Madeleine was not abducted. (Sky News)
