Madeleine McCann's parents say naming of German suspect in her disappearance is 'significant development'

A spokesman for Madeleine McCann's parents has said the pair believe the identification of a German man suspected of her murder is "the most significant development in 13 years" in the case of their daughter's disappearance.

Speaking to Sky News on Thursday, Clarence Mitchell said Kate and Gerry McCann had never given up hope that their daughter was still alive after she vanished during a family holiday in the Algarve, Portugal, on May 3, 2007.

Mr Mitchell added the couple were "realistic" and "simply want to know what happened" to their child.

"They want whoever is responsible for her disappearance to be brought to justice," he said.

"They do remain hopeful that she could still be found alive. They've never given up on that hope, nor will they until they are presented with any incontrovertible evidence to the contrary.

"But they say despite all that, whatever the outcome of this particular line of enquiry might be, they need to know and they need to find peace."

Mr Mitchell's comments came as German public prosecutors announced they believe Madeleine, who disappeared shortly before her fourth birthday, is dead and police are treating her disappearance as a murder investigation.

Police said the suspect, named Christian B, may have kidnapped Madeleine after breaking into her family’s holiday apartment.

London's Metropolitan Police and counterparts in Germany and Portugal have appealed for information about the man and his movements as they seek to finally solve the 13-year mystery.

Scotland Yard has emphasised that there is still no definitive proof of what happened to Madeleine or whether she is dead or alive, however.

The suspect, 43, is described as white with short blond hair, possibly fair, and about 6ft tall with a slim build at the time she vanished on May 3 2007. He is currently serving a prison sentence.

Hans Christian Wolters, from the Braunschweig Public Prosecutor's Office, said: "We are assuming that the girl is dead.

"With the suspect, we are talking about a sexual predator who has already been convicted of crimes against little girls and he's already serving a long sentence."

Mr Wolters said the suspect was regularly living in the Algarve between 1995 and 2007 and had jobs in the area, including in catering, but also committed burglaries in hotel complexes and apartments, and dealt drugs.

Mr Mitchell meanwhile said both the German and British police believe there are people out there who know what happened to Madeleine.

He added that police are stressing that anybody who has information about the jailed suspect should feel safe to come forward.