McCanns release new video appeal moving pictures of Maddie's last Christmas at home
21 December 2008
The News of the World
Ross Hall
The thrill of Christmas clear on her beaming face, Madeleine McCann plays to the camera in touching new footage appealing for help over her disappearance.
The previously unseen video clips have been released by Maddie's parents Kate and Gerry as they face their second Christmas without her.
For the the first time viewers will hear Maddie's voice as she is shown speaking of her new pink shoes, dancing in a fairy outfit and riding a bike.
It was mostly filmed at Christmas 2006—the last time the McCanns were all together as a family over the festive period. The video shows Maddie sitting on the stairs of their home in Rothley, Leics, flanked by younger twins Sean and Amelie.
Maddie, three and a half at the time, encourages her brother and sister to copy her gestures, saying: "Clap your hands together and one, two, three."
Difficult
She then holds up her present and says: "These are my shoes." Behind the camera, dad Gerry asks what colour they are. Maddie replies: "Pink." She then leaps up and dances around, waving her shoes. The short film uses Snow Patrol's hit Chasing Cars as its soundtrack. Kate and Gerry decided not to appear in the video but say on it: "Please help bring our daughter back. This will be our second Christmas without our daughter. Please help us make sure we don't have a third."
Madeleine was nine days short of her fourth birthday when she vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3 last year as her parents dined with friends.
The McCanns will spend this Christmas with the twins and close family and friends.
Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Producing a video like this is itself making Christmas more difficult.
"But they are doing it because they believe Madeleine is still out there and they want that piece of information."
OUR REWARD STILL ON OFFER
THE News of the World's £1.5million reward for Madeleine's safe return still stands.
Celebrities and business leaders including Harry Potter author JK Rowling and Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green pledged huge sums after we launched our Find Maddie campaign with £250,000.
The offer is subject to standard News of the World reward conditions.
DELIGHT: With pink shoes
SO PRETTY: In fairy outfit
BEAMING: Maddie is full of joys of Christmas in appeal video
EXCITED: She opens present
SMILES: Maddie on her bike
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