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Speaking only a few hours before his officers were due formally to hand over their evidence in the case to prosecutors, Alipio Ribeiro, head of the investigative Policia Judiciaria (PJ), suggested that the forensic tests had not been conclusive.

In what was thought to be only his second interview since Madeleine's disappearance on May 3, Mr Ribeiro told the Portuguese state broadcaster RTP: "We can’t say with certainty whether it was the blood of person ’X or person ’Y’. They help guide us in our investigation but not with the mathematical precision some people are saying."

Social services and police in Leicestershire held talks yesterday afternoon about how they should respond to Madeleine’s disappearance and the naming of her parents as suspects.

Leicestershire County Council refused to comment on the meeting, citing its "highly confidential nature". But it is believed social workers would have discussed whether action was needed to protect Madeleine's younger twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, which in theory range from putting them on the "in-need register" to taking them into care.

In Praia da Luz, where Madeleine went missing on May 3, police were said to be preparing fresh searches. These will take place to the south of the Ocean Club resort, where the McCanns were staying, according to the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha.

Portuguese detectives appear to be working on the theory that Mrs McCann killed her daughter by accident and covered up the death by claiming she was abducted. FSS test results received in recent weeks have reportedly boosted this hypothesis.

But in an entry on his blog on the findmadeleine.com website, Gerry McCann said last night that he was "100 per cent confident" that his wife had nothing to do with Madeleine's disappearance.

In a highly emotional posting, he wrote: "We always hoped that we would not have to return without Madeleine and could never have imagined the possibility that we would do so as suspects in our own daughter’s disappearance.

"The pain and turmoil we have experienced in this last week is totally beyond description.

"Kate and I are totally 100 per cent confident in each other’s innocence, and our family and friends have rallied round unflinchingly to support us."

Mr McCann said that he could not comment on any details of the investigation, police interviews or the evidence that detectives put to them. "Despite the anguish and extreme distress this has caused all of our family, long term no one will be able to doubt how intensely Kate and I have been scrutinised," he wrote.

"We have absolute confidence that, when all of the facts are presented together, we will be able to demonstrate that we played absolutely no part in Madeleine’s abduction. Our primary concern has always been the search for Madeleine and this aspect, that our daughter is still missing, must remain a priority for the investigation."

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