Parents of missing Madeleine return to Britain

NOTTINGHAM, England, Sep 9 (Reuters) British couple Kate and Gerry McCann, named as suspects in the disappearance of their four-year-old daughter Madeleine in Portugal, flew home today to face intense media scrutiny over the case.

The couple, who have pleaded their innocence in a tragic mystery that has intrigued Europe, stressed after their four-month ordeal that they left the resort of Praia da Luz with the full agreement of the Portuguese authorities.

The McCanns, pursued to Faro airport on the Algarve coast by a barrage of photographers and TV crews, insisted they were not running away from the investigation but were leaving for the sake of their two-year-old twins.

''They played no part in the disappearance of their beloved daughter,'' their spokeswoman, Justine McGuinness, told reporters before the couple left Portugal.

Portuguese police declared the McCanns formal suspects on Friday after questioning them, but have so far filed no charges against them.

Declaring the McCanns suspects indicates police believe they might have been involved in a crime but does not necessarily mean they would be detained.

Gerry McCann rejected any suggestion he and his wife were responsible. ''We did not kill Maddie,'' he told the News of the World. ''We're entirely innocent and we will clear our name,'' he said in an interview with the British tabloid.

Britain's Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Jacqui Smith said UK authorities would continue to provide Portuguese police with any help they needed in the hunt for the little girl.

''Where we are asked to supply expertise, we will, and where we can support the family and support particularly making sure that we can find Madeleine, then we will do that,'' she told BBC Television.

The couple's lawyer, Carlos Pinto de Abreu, said he had no idea how long the case would take to be concluded in a country that suffers from serious bureaucratic delays in its justice system.

Police changed their line of investigation this week after receiving results of forensic tests on evidence collected by Portuguese and British experts from various sites including the holiday apartment from which Madeleine vanished.

Pictures of Madeleine have been posted across Europe at schools, airports and restaurants.

The McCanns, who assiduously courted the media for help but are now being hounded by them, have met Pope Benedict. He blessed a picture of the child. Supporters pleading for help have ranged from soccer star David Beckham to Harry Potter author J K Rowling.

REUTERS PD BST1721