Sympathy and support in home village

By Bob Walker
BBC News in Rothley, Leicestershire

The normal routine of village life was once again disrupted as television crews and reporters from across the world spent the day camped in Rothley, the Leicestershire village that is home to the McCanns.

The world's media has once again descended on Rothley

In the centre of the village, next to the pub and a few yards from the post office, a candle still burns brightly in a lamp holder to remind us that Madeleine is still missing.

It won't go out, they say, until Madeleine comes home.

People in Rothley have grown used to answering questions about the McCanns over the last year.

Although there is still sympathy and much support in the village square for the couple's plight, there is also some criticism of their actions in Portugal.

Just outside the post office I met Ben Price, who offered total support.

"I think it's fantastic news for the McCanns. It must be a great relief and a great weight off their shoulders," he said.

"They can concentrate on finding their daughter now. Hopefully the Portuguese police will hand over some information to them and they might be able to make their own inquiries."

'It's been dreadful'

His remarks were echoed by Margaret Houghton, who said the lifting of the arguido status was long overdue.

"I think it's been dreadful, they have enough to cope with," she said.

But Rachel Swan said although she was pleased for the McCanns, she still had concerns over the disappearance of Madeleine.

If it was your child that had gone missing, would you like the case to have been shelved? Rothley resident Leon Williamson

"It still doesn't alter the fact that they left their children alone at night," she said.

"If it was me, a single parent, mother of one, I'd probably get lynched in this country if I had left my child at home or on holiday like that."

And Leon Williamson said although he was glad that the McCanns were no longer considered suspects, he was disappointed the investigation had been shelved.

"If it was your child that had gone missing, would you like the case to have been shelved?" he said.

"I think they (the Portugese police) didn't have any options so they took the easy option and accused them."