MISSING Madeleine McCann's parents have new hope of her being found thanks to Scotland Yard, her mother said yesterday.

During an emotional public appearance, Kate McCann said she was 'incredibly grateful' to British police as she told of her trauma after her daughter vanished, saying she felt 'totally out of control' and was only saved from breakdown by a counsellor.

The mother-of-three also hit out at Portuguese police for shelving the hunt for her young daughter.

Madeleine, who was just nine days short of her fourth birthday, vanished in Praia da Luz on the Portugese Algarve during a family holiday on May 3, 2007.

Kate, 43, said she and her husband Gerry should not have been left to carry on the search alone by Algarve detectives.

'I do not believe this should be the role of grieving parents. We have been very fortunate that we have had so much support from the public but we have had to fight and really fight to get the help that Madeleine needs most and can make a difference.

'Many people have been worn down by this process because it is absolutely relentless and exhausting.

'It's only now, four years on with the recent commitment by the government and the Met police to conduct a review, that we think chances of Madeleine being found are improving.

'And we are of course incredibly grateful,' she added.

Kate told an official inquiry by MPs into the support offered to families of missing people that counselling and a single point of contact with police was vital for anyone trying to find a loved one.

With her voice shaking, the GP said she and her husband, a heart consultant, needed a specialist counsellor in the Algarve to keep their lives functioning

'To be left in the dark when your child is missing like this is unbearable, bordering on the inhumane.

'I can vouch for this personally. Emotional and psychological support is essential. Somebody with experience in dealing with crises like this. Someone like that can also forearm and equip you to face potential problems that might arise in the future.

'I think it is of paramount importance.' Recalling how a trauma counsellor flew to the Algarve to help the couple while they continued searching for their daughter, Kate said: 'I can't overestimate how much of a difference that made.

'We are medically trained but we couldn't function.

'It helped us to function, to talk, to vocalise our fears, to challenge our fears.

'Our counsellor helped us to start taking control of things. It was probably the first time in my life I felt totally out of control. The sense of helplessness you feel is overwhelming.'

With Kate at the inquiry were Sarah Godwin, whose son Quentin was 18 when he disappeared in 1992 on his way to his after-school job in New Zealand, and Nicki Durbin, mother of Luke Durbin who vanished from an Ipswich nightclub five years ago at the age of 19.

Holding up a picture of Madeleine, Kate said: 'If your house is burgled, you are automatically offered victim support with emotional, practical and legal assistance. If your child goes missing, you may get nothing. This parliamentary inquiry has the potential to change that.'

She went on: 'When someone you love goes missing, you are left with unimaginable, unending heartbreak, confusion, guilt and worry.

'In addition to the reassurance that everything possible is being done to find their missing loved one, families need support.

'And they should be spared the additional pain of financial and legal bureaucracy.' Kate, from Rothley, Leicestershire, recently published a book about Madeleine's disappearance in a bid to revive efforts to find her daughter.

She voiced her hopes of Madeleine being found as Scotland Yard continues its review of the investigation.

The Portuguese inquiry was formally shelved in July 2008 but the McCanns have continued the search by using private detectives.