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| The
billboard will be set up in locations across Europe |
The parents
of four-year-old Madeleine McCann have been to see a giant poster
designed to publicise the appeal for their missing daughter.
The inflatable billboard, made in
Glasgow, was unveiled on a beach at Praia da Luz, Algarve, Portugal,
near to where she was taken on 3 May.
Gerry and Kate McCann thanked
people who have been going to "absolutely extraordinary lengths" to
help them.
The couple have been invited to
the Vatican to meet the Pope on Wednesday.
A family spokesman said they were
"delighted" by the invitation.
The fund set up by the McCann
family to help find their daughter has now raised more than
?320,000.
Mr McCann said: "We have thanked
everyone on several occasions but, you know, some people are just
going to absolutely extraordinary lengths to help us.
My heartstrings have been pulled on this and
I want to help
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"We'd like to again thank the
thousands, if not millions, of people who are doing little things in
their own way - either making donations to the fund, distributing
posters, taking posters on holiday - anything that people are doing
to raise the awareness of Madeleine's disappearance.
"You know, we thank them from the
bottoms of our heart and we believe this will make a difference in
the search for her."
Later, the two-minute Find
Madeleine appeal DVD was shown at Wembley Stadium at the Coca-Cola
Championship play-off final between Derby County and West Bromwich
Albion.
Description released
Advertising business workers Chris
Lennox and Les Harle drove the billboard, which is 800 sq ft (75 sq
m) when inflated, from Scotland to Portugal over three days.
The pair, who both have children,
said the McCann's plight inspired them to act.
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| The
McCanns thanked the public after viewing the poster |
Mr Lennox, 35, said: "My
heartstrings have been pulled on this and I want to help. I have a
family with small kids and my wife has been following this from day
one.
"She told me to come out here and
do what I could. I am clearly here to help raise awareness."
Meanwhile, Portuguese police say
they have received hundreds of calls after they released a
description of a man seen near the McCanns' holiday flat on the
night she was taken.
He is described as white, 5ft
10in, medium build with short hair.
It is understood the description
came from a friend of the McCanns who saw a man who may have been
carrying a child on the night Madeleine disappeared.
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