A child psychologist is helping Madeleine McCann's twin siblings come to terms with her disappearance

The parents of Madeleine McCann have revealed how a child psychologist is helping them to tell their two other children about her disappearance.

Kate and Gerry McCann said they would be ‘frank and open’ with their four-year-old twinsSean and Amelie when they ask why their sister is still missing.

Mrs McCann, 41, said experts have said the youngsters will ask about Madeleine’s disappearance when they are ready.

‘We’ll be led by them,’ she said. ‘We’ve had advice from a child psychologist and they’ve said Sean and Amelie will lead the way.

‘If they ask a question, we’ll answer them honestly. I’m not going to rush them, but if they ask something then I’ll answer them.’

Mr McCann, 41, a heart specialist, added: ‘We will answer their questions openly and honestly. What they ask, we’ll tell them. We’ll tell them what happened and what information we know.’

Three-year-old Madeleine, went missing from her family’s holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007.

Last week, the McCanns released digitally enhanced pictures of how she might look as a six-year-old.

The images, based on the idea she may be held captive in southern Europe, Africa or the Middle East, show her with dark skin and dark hair.

Mrs McCann told a Portuguese chat show that the twins had helped her ‘adapt and function’ despite her grief.

Mr McCann added: ‘We do as much as we possibly can to ensure that the twins see us happy.

‘They give us so much joy and our life superficially would
look like any family with two young children.

‘Obviously one of our children is missing. Sean and Amelie know that and they know that’s not good, and they want Madeleine back.’