The McCanns’ pain over the disappearance of their daughter was “multiplied 100 times” by a book by a former Portuguese police chief, a court heard yesterday.

Gerry McCann’s sister Trish Cameron said he and wife Kate had been left in “purgatory” by the disappearance of Madeleine and claims that they were somehow involved.

Speaking at the libel trial of former police chief Goncalo Amaral, Mrs Cameron said the publication of his book in 2008 and a TV documentary based on it the following year caused the family to be “vilified” and “demonised”.

And she said Madeleine’s twin siblings Sean and Amelie, now eight, were aware of them by comments made by fellow pupils at their school.

“My brother and sister-in-law live in purgatory because they have no end and they are looking for the truth,” she told the court.

“They would like an end but there is no end because they don’t know what’s happened.”

The McCanns say the former detective’s claims in the book The Truth Of The Lie, including suggestions that they hid their daughter’s body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction, damaged the hunt for Madeleine and exacerbated their anguish.

If successful the family stands to gain around £1 million in damages. Mrs Cameron, whose voice cracked as she gave evidence, said: “They were vilified in this book so their distress was multiplied 100 times. This pain was felt by all of their family because we still have a missing child and we knew that what is in there is not true.”

No decision was made yesterday and other legal teams are thought to have until October 16 to give their views before the judge’s decision.

The Portuguese investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance is officially closed.