MOROCCO:Kate McCann, mother of missing Madeleine McCann (4), was embraced by hoards of Moroccan children yesterday as she took the search for her kidnapped daughter to north Africa.
More than 100 children gathered around her and husband Gerry, holding posters of Madeleine high above their heads.
Morocco has featured prominently in the hunt for the missing girl, with a possible sighting in Marrakech six days after she was abducted.
Mari Pollard, a Norwegian woman living in Spain, was on holiday when she saw a blonde girl with a man in a petrol station, looking sad and asking for her mother. Ms Pollard said the Spanish, Portuguese and British police initially did not seem interested in her claim and she has yet to speak to officers face to face.
This sighting is one of the reasons the McCanns, particularly Ms McCann, were keen to come to Morocco.
The girl's parents looked moved by the show of support, shaking as many small hands as possible. Ms McCann described the scene as the "best welcome we could have had to Morocco".
She added: "If Moroccan children are anything to go by, we have a very good chance of getting Madeleine back. It is very emotional, very lovely."
Mr McCann said he was overwhelmed by the children's display: "It is totally unexpected and it gives us tremendous heart."