KATE and Gerry McCann have issued an anguished Christmas message to their daughter's kidnappers, begging them to treat her with "love and respect".

As they face their fourth Christmas without Madeleine, the couple wrote on their website of their determination to find her.

They added: "We hope with all our hearts that wherever she is, she is safe and well and whoever may be with her is treating her with the love and respect she so deserves."

Maddie was three years old when she vanished from a holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007.

Ms McCann, 42, of Rothley, Leicestershire, said the ordeal had been made worse by WikiLeaks claims last week that British police had "developed evidence against them" as they were investigated by Portuguese authorities.

She said: "The WikiLeaks 'news' has led to the repetition of many unfounded allegations and smears."