Maddie was just three years old when she vanished on a family holiday in Portugal on this day in 2007.

Madeleine, from Rothley in Leicestershire, vanished on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her parents in Praia da Luz, Portugal, after they left the then three-year-old and her younger twin siblings asleep in their apartment while they went out to dinner with friends nearby.

In an update posted to the Find Madeleine website, Kate and Gerry McCann wrote: "It’s 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us. It’s hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief. Whilst we are fortunate in many ways and able to live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now, the ‘living in limbo’ is still very unsettling. And the absence still aches.

"Your support continues to encourage us and bolsters our strength to keep going. We know the love and hope for Madeleine and the will to find her, even after so many years, remains, and we are truly thankful for that.

"Thank you again for remembering Madeleine and all missing children."

The post was accompanied by a graphic which included an image of Madeleine at the age she went missing.

Madeleine would be turning 21 years old on the 12th of this month.

In the past year, the police investigation into Madeleine's disappearance has honed in on one primary suspect, a German national by the name of Christian Bruckner.

The 45-year-old is currently in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in the same area of the Algarve region where Madeleine went missing but has not been charged with any crime related to the disappearance. He has always maintained that he was not involved.

According to reports last year, Bruckner is said to have visited a reservoir that had previously been searched by police “some days” after Madeleine went missing.

A former friend of his is said to have informed police, and the tip-off tallied up with photos and videos of Bruckner near the reservoir and influenced investigators to carry out thorough searches of the area.

Those searches produced no new information or leads.

Read more:

• Woman who pretended to be Madeleine McCann explains why she did it
• Madeleine McCann suspect reportedly planned to kidnap child