Madeleine McCann's parents Kate and Gerry fail to attend prayer vigil on 17th anniversary of her disappearance

The parents of Madeleine McCann failed to attend a prayer vigil tonight on the poignant 17th anniversary of her disappearance - as a young Polish woman who insists she is Maddie bizarrely turned up.

Kate and Gerry were said by a family member to be away at a secret location on a 'much needed' long weekend break.

A message from them was read out during an informal gathering of friends and well wishers and they apologised for not being present. 

Read by vicar the Rev. Robert Gladstone from the local parish church, it started: 'Good evening, we are sorry that we cannot be with you tonight but we thank you for coming together and wanting to share your hope for Madeleine and other missing children.

'It's 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us. It's hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief.' 

Echoing words they they had posted earlier on social media they added: '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.' 

The unexpected visitor Julia Wendell, 22, known as the 'Maddie faker', accompanied by a friend Robert Zyla, listened on intently, clutching a letter she had desperately hoped to give to the McCanns.

She later told of her 'disappointment' that they hadn't been present, and said of her mission, and having travelled over from Poland, that she had one question for them.

Speaking after the 45-minute service, she said: 'I am Madeleine McCann. I have never stopped believing it and I have come here because I want to ask Kate and Gerry to do a DNA test.

'They haven't done one to prove I am not their daughter.' She added: 'No I am not crazy. I am not a liar.'

Her presence later became known to family members and church representatives.

A crowd of 50 packed into the Baptist Church in their home village of Rothley, Leicestershire - the informal gathering held inside and not outside the war memorial, as usual, because of heavy rain.

Among them were Kate's uncle, retired head teacher Brian Kennedy and his wife Janet, who read verses.

Mr Kennedy said: 'Each time we hope this annual occasion will be the last. The search for Madeleine continues.'

Adults and children then lit candles in Maddie's memory, and prayers were said.

Supporters also read out mantras including 'Never give up', 'don't forget about me,' 'still missing, still missed' and 'all children are precious.'

The McCann's are clinging onto a glimmer of hope that their daughter, who would now be aged 20, nearly 21, could still be alive.

The latest public anniversary gathering comes at an awkward time as the prime suspect in Maddie'e disappearance, Christian Brueckner has gone on trial in for horrific, unrelated sex offences.

German police are convinced Maddie is dead and have been intent on charging prime suspect Brueckner - sensationally named nearly four years ago - with her kidnap and 'no body' murder.

The convicted paedophile is currently on trial in his native Germany for five unrelated rapes and sex offences, three involving minors.

Brueckner, 47, is also serving a sentence for the rape of an elderly American tourist in the same resort of Praia da Luz Maddie was snatched from.

Mr Kennedy - Maddie's great uncle - said he was 'encouraged by people turning on an extremely unpleasant rainy night.'

He said: 'Kate and Gerry have gone away, they didn't tell me where and I didn't ask, and it is a bit of a clash.

'But they work very hard and they needed a break very much.'

Gerry, 55, is a renowned heart doctor while former GP Kate, 56, is now medical worker.

It is not known if they have taken their 19-year-old twins Seam and Amelie away too.

Mrs Kennedy later went to greet Julia, hearing a visitor from Poland was present, but not realising she was an impersonator.

She said: 'Please help me to meet Kate and Gerry. I am very disappointed they are not here.'

She handed over a letter, which was taken by the vicar, and they assured her they would pass it on.

Julia became infamous last February after she insisted she was the missing British toddler in spurious posts on social media with her username '@IamMadeleineMcCann'.

But s he was persuaded to take a DNA test and the results proved conclusively that she had no relation to Madeleine.

She then revealed she regrets making the claims online after she received torrents of abuse and death threats in the wake of her headline-grabbing stunt.

But tonight she insisted: 'I am Madeleine McCann, and I'll prove it.'

British Police have just been granted new funding of nearly £200,000 by the Home Office to keep their investigation, codenamed Operation Grange, going.

So far Scotland Yard's 13-year inquiry, which officers are still treating as a missing person case, has cost the taxpayer a staggering £13.2 million.

A Home Office spokesperson has confirmed: 'Ministers have approved a request to provide up to £192,000 for Operation Grange in 2024-25 in line with our Special Grant processes.

'The total figure is just under £13.2 million since 2011.'

Maddie disappeared from a holiday apartment in the popular Algarve resort of Luz while she was left sleeping alone with her toddler twin siblings.

At the time her parents were dining with pals in a nearby tapas restaurant whilst carrying out regular half-hour checks on the children.

The McCans have previously said: 'We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace.'