Yellow ribbons tied for Madeleine

The local community has been shocked by the abduction

Britons in Portugal's Algarve have tied yellow ribbons and laid flowers in the village where four-year-old Madeleine McCann was snatched from her bed.

Ribbons were tied along railings outside the holiday complex where Madeleine's family were staying in the village of Praia da Luz.

Two hundred adults and children, most of whom were local to the area, also left behind soft toys.

Members of the community said they all hoped for Madeleine's safe return.

One of the soft toys left behind was a Winnie the Pooh doll. On the night Madeleine was abducted on 3 May, she was wearing pyjamas featuring the popular children's character.

Shocked community

Claire Borges, 39, who was born in Banbury, Oxfordshire but lives in Praia da Luz was among those who attended the event.

She said: "I feel we just want to support the family in any way possible."

"It's affected us so badly as a community. You know most of us have lived here a long (time), we do have small children here and Kate, who's organised this, has got one herself."

She added that they all wanted to show the McCann family that they were praying for them and for a happy ending.

Kate Gurnett, who organised the event said that the idea of tying yellow ribbons dated back to the Second World War when they were placed in windows by the wives of soldiers at the front.

Mrs Gurnett added: "I just hope that they know that we will not forget that little girl and we just hope every day that goes by that she will be returned home to that family safe.

"I have always known that there is a side of life that exists that you don't want to think about but it never came here, and it seems that now it has come here."