A new advertising campaign has been launched across southern Spain in the hunt for Madeleine McCann.

The ads, in railway stations and public transport areas, are the first wave of an £80,000 publicity drive and have been paid for by donations made to the fighting fund set up earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Portuguese and British forensic scientists are set to meet to discuss DNA samples examined in the investigation.

It is understood that they will focus on samples collected from a car hired by the Rothley four-year-old's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, which has been examined by the Forensic Science Service at its laboratory in Birmingham.

Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for Madeleine's parents, said: "We have this morning been informed by Leicestershire Police that a meeting between forensic scientists from Portugal and the Forensic Science Service will be taking place in Leicestershire in the near future.

"We understand there is no intention for the McCanns to be interviewed, or indeed anyone else. Such a meeting should not be seen as surprising. We do not see it as a significant development."

The Portuguese experts are thought to be in the UK and the meeting is expected to take place on Thursday.

Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday resort on the Algarve on May 3.

Her parents were named as formal suspects in the case on September 7.

They say they are innocent and have launched a high-profile campaign to clear their names and find their daughter.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.