Madeleine McCann's parents have spoken out, vowing to never give up on finding their daughter, as the Metropolitan police revealed a suspect in the young Brit's disappearance.
Thirteen-years after the three-year-old went missing from an apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, leading to an international hunt and garnering global attention, a 43-year-old German prisoner is now considered a suspect in the investigation.
The man - who is in prison for an unrelated sex crime - lived in the area between 1995 and 2007, owned two vehicles seen nearby before and after McCann disappeared, and had a phone which was rung in Praia da Luz on the night of May 3, when she went missing.
"It's more than 13 years since Madeleine went missing and none of us can imagine what it must be like for her family, not knowing what happened or where she is," Detective Chief Inspector Cranwell said.
"Following the 10-year anniversary, the Met received information about a German man who was known to have been in and around Praia da Luz. We have been working with colleagues in Germany and Portugal and this man is a suspect in Madeleine's disappearance."
Her parents, Kate and Gerry, have also spoken out, appealing for more information on the back of Thursday's developments.
"We welcome the appeal today regarding the disappearance of our daughter, Madeleine," they said.
"We would like to thank the police forces involved for their continued efforts in the search for Madeleine."
The pair, who were at one point suspected of being involved in the young child's disappearance, said "all we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice".
"We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know, as we need to find peace."
They also thanked the general public for their "ongoing support" and again encouraged anyone with information to contact police.
According to The Sun, a close friend of the parents say until a body is found, they won't give up hope of finding their daughter.
German authorities are treating inquiries as a murder investigation, while the Met considers it a missing persons investigation.
"Kate and Gerry want answers more than anyone but while the Metropolitan Police are still treating Madeleine's disappearance as a missing people's inquiry, it gives the family hope that she could still be alive. Nothing has changed for them," the friend said.
Investigators, working under the Operation Grange codename, also released images of two vehicles of relevance and two phone numbers related to a phone call to the suspect on the night of May 3, 2007.
Anyone who has seen the VW T3 campervan or the Jaguar XJR 6 vehicles in the area are asked to get in touch with officers.
"The Operation Grange team is also asking anyone if they recognise these numbers. Did you ever call them? Do you have them in your phone, an old phone or your electronic contacts?"
