By Martin Williams

Thousands of ribbons of hope greeted the father of missing Madeleine McCann last night as he read messages of support left in the family’s home village in Leicestershire.

The yellow symbols, cards and flowers have turned a war memorial on the village green in Rothley, into a colourful tribute to the four-year-old who went missing 19 days ago during a holiday in Portugal.

Her Glasgow-born father, Gerry, 38, a hospital consultant, paid a brief visit to see the tributes during a trip aimed at stepping up an international campaign to find his daughter.

Chris Allen, who runs a florist shop in the nearby town of Syston, where Kate McCann is a regular customer, said: “Gerry said that he was really, really moved with everything that was happening here and the support that he was getting. He said they were getting a lot of support in Portugal too and to keep on going. He is extremely brave and so is Kate.”

He was also presented with a prayer card by eight-year-old Molly Earp. She said: “He said thank you very much and said he was very appreciative with what has been done for Madeleine. He gave me a kiss and I started to cry. I know him from church and I know Madeleine who is a very nice girl and it’s very sad.”

At the end of the 15-minute visit, Mr McCann hugged friend and owner of the Royal Oak pub, Valerie Armstrong.

She said: “I was very pleased to see him, to touch him. He said he was so appreciative of what is going on here and he does gain strength from what is happening here.”

Mr McCann arrived in the UK on Sunday alone, to spare his wife the ordeal, to deal with “personal matters” and meet lawyers and organisers of the Find Madeleine fund. He is expected to return to Portugal today. Foreign Office spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: “Mr McCann is here for a number of reasons – to attend to a few personal matters, to meet police and, of course, to thank everybody once again for the overwhelming support they have had from around the world.

“Gerry will be establishing where the police investigation is going and talk to people with the fund.”

In Praia da Luz, Portugal, holidaymakers and locals observed one minute’s silence initiated by an anonymous chain e-mail.

Police appealed for tourists to submit holiday photographs taken in the village in the weeks before Madeleine was abducted.