On Madeleine's fourth birthday, the agony goes on

Kate and Gerry McCann should have been preparing for their eldest daughter's fourth birthday today. The Dr Who cake was ordered weeks ago, and friends and family invited to a party.

Instead, Madeleine McCann's devoted parents were keeping a vigil for their missing child and talking of leaving "no stone unturned" in a race against time to find the little girl who was stolen as she slept nine days ago.

In their home village of Rothley, near Leicester, the party plans have been put on hold and the cake cancelled.

The strain shows on Kate McCann's face as she holds one of her twin children and Cuddle Cat, the toy Madeleine always slept with and used as a comforter

Madeleine's family rally round and plea for her safe return (Windows)

VIDEO: Watch Beckham's appeal with Windows Media Player

While hundreds of miles away, in the seaside resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve, Kate and Gerry McCann emerged from their holiday apartment to make their latest appeal.

The transformation of Kate, a pretty 38-year-old mother-of-three, was shocking.

Blank-faced and hiding behind her hair, she appeared almost catatonic as she stood silently beside her husband, clutching, as always, Madeleine's favourite toy, called Cuddle Cat by the little girl.

Everton captain Phil Neville said the club and its fans were all praying for missing Madeleine McCann's safe return

Mrs McCann, a GP, has visibly lost weight since her child was snatched from their holiday apartment and she appeared completely exhausted by the emotional strains of the past days.

Even Cuddle Cat, the toy Madeleine always slept with and used as a comforter, looked dirty and bedraggled.

The couple had had little sleep, having spent hours going over their statements at nearby Portimao police station on Thursday.

Kate left the police station at 10.15pm, after nine hours of questioning and her husband finally returned home at 3am.

While there, it is understood that the parents were shown images of known sex offenders and CCTV footage of two men and a woman who were seen with a blonde girl who looked like Madeleine, at a petrol station close to Praia da Luz.

They were also asked to identify a British couple who were staying at the Mark Warner Ocean Club resort at the time of the kidnap.

Earlier today David Beckham made a televised appeal for the safe return of Madeleine. Dressed in a white shirt and wearing s stern expression, the former England captain held up a photograph of the child as he made his televised plea.

David Beckham is the latest high profile footballer to appeal for Madeleine's safe return

Chelsea footballers John Terry and Paulo Ferreira also made an appeal on behalf of the London club, to find Madeleine.

The investigation has been beset with false rumours and sightings but today, the McCanns insisted they "remained positive" about finding their child alive and praised the widely-criticised Portuguese police for their efforts.

The police have been accused of acting slowly and delaying a proper search.

Police on the border with Spain, just one hour away from the resort, were not notified for 15 hours and checks on vehicles have been disorganised and sporadic.

But Gerry McCann, 38, claimed: "We have now seen at first hand how hard the police are working in the search for Madeleine and their strong desire to find her. We have also seen the resources being put into the investigation."

Poignantly, those resources were drastically cut. The search for Madeleine was halted after police admitted it had yielded "zero results" so far.

There are now just 30 police officers assigned to the investigation from a total of 150 originally tasked with searching the surrounding area.

If the scaling down of the search is a blow to the family, Gerry McCann did not reveal it.

Grief-stricken, the cardiologist said: "We are doing absolutely everything to assist the police with their investigation and we will leave no stone unturned."

Mrs McCann was later asked to return to the Portimao police station yesterday to look at more photographs.

Madeleine's father did not comment on anonymous accusations in a Portuguese newspaper that the couple did not check on their sleeping children every half an hour while they ate at a tapas restaurant as they have claimed, but instead stayed seated at their table all evening.

Such criticism of them is rare in the resort, where locals have helped in the search for Madeleine and taken the family to their hearts.

The McCanns have vowed to remain in Praia da Luz until Madeleine has been found and share a fierce belief that she is still alive.

It is a sentiment echoed by their families and home village.

Madeleine's great uncle Brian Kennedy said a "birthday cake will be made on her return".

The former headteacher added: "We will be thinking about her and keep her birthday celebrations on hold. We didn't feel that having a cake would be entirely appropriate, although I will still be wishing her a very happy birthday.

"Instead we will be holding a few simple events at the churches around the village.

"We are still hoping to have a belated birthday party on her return."

Describing Madeleine as a "thoughtful, intelligent child" who loves her twin brother and sister, Mr Kennedy added: "I think Kate and Gerry will find it an extremely distressing day." Four years ago, Madeleine was born an IVF baby desperately wanted by her parents, and their memories of that day must be of euphoric happiness and relief at her safe arrival.

Today, they can only pray their precious girl will return safely to them again.