The parents of Madeleine McCann have denied they are suspected of involvement in her abduction and hit back at criticism at the amount of publicity surrounding the disappearance of their daughter.

Kate and Gerry McCann told journalists in Germany, where they are conducting a series of interviews, that they could not understand the enormous international media interest in their search for Madeleine but said it was vital for bringing their daughter back home.

Mr and Mrs McCann from Rothley, Leicestershire, looked appalled when it was suggested today that their behaviour seems to imply that they were involved in Madeleine’s abduction from their Portuguese holiday apartment 34 days ago.

Mrs McCann, 38, said: "To be honest I don't actually think that is the case, I think that is a very small minority of people that are criticising us.

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"The facts are that we were dining very close to the children and we were checking them very, very regularly.

"You know, we are very responsible parents and we love our children so much and I think it is only a very few people that are actually criticising us."

Her husband added: "I have never heard before that anyone considers us suspects in this and the Portuguese police certainly don't.

"Without going into too much detail, we were with a large group of people, and you know there is absolutely no way Kate and I are involved in this abduction."

"We are not immune to criticism and there has been one or two critical things and we are big enough to accept that."

The couple are today completing a gruelling series of 13 interviews and news conferences in Berlin and Amsterdam to help publicise the disappearance of their daughter. They have already visited Rome and Madrid and plan a trip to Morocco next Monday.

Mr McCann, 39, said: "I can understand why people are amazed by what Kate and I are doing and before this happened to us we would have been amazed too. If we had locked ourselves away for a month we would be shells of the people we are."

Mr McCann defended the couple from criticism that the hunt for Madeleine had received too much media coverage.

"I can not fully understand the reasons it has generated the publicity it has," he said. "The media attention will have a shelf life. It has already lasted much longer than we anticipated. I can not envisage that in weeks and months to come we will still be doing this.

"We hope and pray every day this will finish and Madeleine will be returned home to us safely. We are doing everything to become a family of five again."

The consultant cardiologist insisted that Madeleine is more likely to be alive than dead

"We have got to keep going, we believe she is alive," said Mr McCann. "There is an absence of evidence to the contrary. We think it is more likely that she is alive than not alive."

Mrs McCann, wearing green and yellow ribbons tied to her waist, added: "There has been a lot of speculation and it is hard not to think the worst. But as time goes on and there still isn't any news, we have to think positively.

"The chances of this happening is effectively more than 100 million to one - the chances of a good outcome have to be at least as good, if not better."

Speaking candidly about leaving their little girl in the apartment while they ate at a tapas bar yards away, Mr McCann said: "Of course we blame ourselves, but we do not blame each other. Kate and I are very much together in this.

"Blame would have torn us apart. When things go wrong, people like to blame somebody, anybody. But what has helped us is that we haven't looked back at the negative."

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