The aunt of snatched toddler Madeleine McCann today issued a desperate plea to her niece's kidnapper and said that she believed the youngster could have been taken from Portugal across the border into Spain.

Philomena McCann said that the people holding her "have to bring her back to us".

“Please bring her back, we love Madeleine, we all love her. We need her back, please give her back.”

Ms McCann, the sister of Madeleine’s father, Gerry, added: “We need to get her back. We must find her. It’s not an option to lose her. She is an integral part of the family. We need her."

She also revealed that she had set up a chain e-mail that she had sent to all her friends with a picture of Madeleine and contact numbers for Crimestoppers.

Her friends have been asked to pass it on to everyone they know across Europe.

Speaking to Sky News, Ms McCann said: “She could have been taken to one of the other European countries and if news is not getting there that is a real concern for us.

“I have asked all my friends to pass this on and hopefully we will have a much wider coverage.

“I don’t think its a big issue in other countries and I think the possibility is she could be in Spain but we hope she is still in Portugal. We are trying to cover all bases.”

She said that the family had to find Madeleine and the youngster's parents, Gerry and Kate, would stay in in Praia da Luz until their daughter was found.

“How can they go, they need their daughter, they absolutely need her. We must have Madeleine home. This person or these people have to bring her back to us.”

This afternoon Madeleine’s parents issued a statement thanking everyone for helping in the search for their daughter and said that they remained positive.

"We are grateful to all of those currently taking part in the search for our daughter Madeleine. At present, we are channelling all of our emotions and all of our efforts into the steps that are being taken to secure Madeleine's safe return.

“We will continue to do this and thank the media for the support in continuing to publicise the search for Madeleine.”

As the hunt for Madeleine nears the end of the first week, Portuguese police have extended their appeal through the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

Along with a picture of Madeleine, the appeal appears in English, Portuguese and Spanish and urges people to come forward with any information that could help police find the missing youngster along with a picture of her.

The appeal is at www.ceop.gov.uk and www.virtualglobaltaskforce.com.

Both sites receive extensive daily hits from more than 130 different countries and it is hoped the move will help extend the reach of the appeal to as many people as possible, including holidaygoers who may have recently returned from Portugal or are intending to visit.

Any information should be passed to directly to the Portuguese police on 00 351 282 405 400.

The posters were sent out after it was revealed that dozens of sex offenders who travelled to the Algarve in the month before the disappearance are being hunted by police in Portugal and Britain.

Portuguese detectives have drawn up a description of a British man whom they want to question over Madeleine’s disappearance. A computer-generated artist’s impression of the suspect shows a white man, 5ft 8in (1.7m) tall, aged 35 to 40, with short, dark hair.

In response, British detectives have compiled a list of every person on the sex offenders register who told police that they were travelling to the country.

The list was compiled by Leicestershire Constabulary over the weekend from records kept by every police force. Portuguese officers have also examined records at every hotel in Praia da Luz and the nearby town of Lagos to gather information on every visitor from the Midlands.

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