Madeleine parents back in Britain

The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have returned to the UK saying they are "heart-broken" to have left Portugal without their four-year-old daughter.

At East Midlands Airport, an emotional Gerry McCann said they had returned for the sake of their twins and he appealed for their privacy to be respected.

He said he and his wife, Kate, both 39, had played no part in the disappearance of their "lovely daughter" on 3 May.

The couple, who are formal suspects, have arrived home in Rothley, Leics.

Large crowd

They were greeted with a heavy police presence and a large crowd of reporters and cameras.
During their absence, letters, cards and presents for Madeleine have been posted through their front door.

Kate McCann's uncle Brian Kennedy, who had been waiting for the family to arrive, told reporters they had a "mixture of feelings" about being at home.

"They're back to their own house after three or four of the most trying days they've probably ever been through," he said.

"You will know how long they were with the police in Portugal... they're tired. They're very tired."

At East Midlands Airport, a large crowd of people had gathered in the hope of catching a glimpse of the McCanns.

Mr McCann stood on the runway next to his wife, each cradling one of their twins in their arms, and read a statement to the gathered media.