The parents of Madeleine McCann are going to appoint a campaign manager to help coordinate the huge search for their daughter, as they vowed that they would travel across Europe to find her.

Gerry McCann, back in Portugal after a short journey to England, said that they would travel “wherever is necessary” to make sure that everyone recognised his daughter’s picture.

Standing with his wife Kate, who was clutching Madeleine’s favourite teddy, he also said that they were “nowhere near ready” to leave Portugal and return home.

The couple revealed that tomorrow they would be travelling to the Shrine of Fatima where they would pray for Madeleine’s safe return.

The four-year-old was taken from their apartment in Praia da Luz as they ate dinner nearby 19 days ago and police have been unable to find any trace of her.

Speaking to the media for the first time in a week Mr MCann, clutching his wife’s hand, said they still believed their daughter would be returned safely to them

Speaking about the campaign, that has been publicised across the world, he said: “Kate and I will play our part in that campaign,” said Mr McCann. “We will travel wherever is necessary to ensure people across Europe recognise Madeleine’s picture and encourage them to come forward with information.”

He said the couple had not yet hired private investigators to assist the police investigation but would consider using them if they felt there was insufficient resources deployed in any country.

Mr McCann spoke about the heartbreaking trip he made yesterday to the family’s home town of Rothley in Leicestershire while his wife remained in the Portuguese resort with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

“It was extremely difficult to leave here,” he said outside the apartment where Madeleine was abducted. “When we went home to Rothley we should have been coming home as a family of five.”

Mrs McCann, a GP, said: “It was extremely moving to see Gerry (in Rothley) and it emphasised the support we have.

”The love and messages he received are very moving. Both of us are really grateful for all the support we’ve had - it gives us strength and keeps us focussed on the positive and I can’t emphasise that enough.”

The couple, who have made regular visits to the local church, said they planned to take a pilgrimage to the shrine at Fatima in Northern Portugal to pray for their daughter's safe return.

Mr McCann echoed an appeal made yesterday by police in Britain for holidaymakers to upload pictures to a webside run by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP).

The pictures, sent to www.madeleine.ceopupload.com, will be checked with facial recognition software to see if there were any known paedophiles in the area when Madeleine went missing at the beginning of May.

They can also use the software to look for Madeleine in any picture.

When asked about the only official suspect in the case, Robert Murat, Mr McCann said his family hoped that “all suspects are treated as innocent until someone is charged with a criminal offence.”

Mr Murat, 33, who lives less than 100 yards from the apartment where Madeleine was abducted, is awaiting the results of police forensic science tests which he hopes will clear his name.

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