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Madeleine McCann – latest news: ‘Shrine’ found at Algarve reservoir launched police search

A British couple has claimed they found a makeshift shrine to missing Madeleine McCann at the Portuguese reservoir searched by police last week.

The couple, named only as Ralf and Ann, told the Mail on Sunday they found the “strange” shrine seven months after the toddler vanished 16 years ago, and reported it

The shrine consisted of a row of stones pointing to a picnic site which was dug up by police last week, a bouquet of white lilies and a photograph of the missing toddler.

The retired couple, who regularly visit their holiday home near the Algarve reservoir, reported the shrine to police after suspect Christian Brueckner was identified by German police in 2020, and gave a formal statement.

Ralf, 66, described the shrine as “very strange”.

Ann, 67, said: “Thinking about it now gives me goosebumps because when we saw where the police were searching the past few days you could see that’s where the row of stones was pointing to.”

Officers concluded their search of the Algarve reservoir on Thursday, where Christian Brueckner reportedly visited “some days” after the three-year-old vanished on May 3, 2007.

Key Points

  • ‘Relevant clue’ found in search of reservoir

  • How the search was completed

  • Key suspect Christian Brueckner visited reservoir ‘days after disappearance’

  • Portugal police give update as search of reservoir closes to an end

Shrine’ found at Algarve reservoir searched by police

08:49 , Martha Mchardy

A British couple has claimed they found a makeshift shrine to missing Madeleine McCann at the Portuguese reservoir searched by police last week.

The couple, named only as Ralf and Ann, told the Mail on Sunday they found the “strange” shrine seven months after the toddler vanished 16 years ago, and reported it

The shrine consisted of a row of stones pointing to a picnic site which was dug up by police last week, a bouquet of white lilies and a photograph of the missing toddler.

The retired couple, who regularly visit their holiday home near the Algarve reservoir, took photographs of the shrine and sent them to Portuguese police in 2007, but never heard back.

The couple then reported the shrine to police after suspect Christian Brueckner was identified by German police in 2020, and were contacted by German detectives to give a formal statement.

Ralf, 66, said German police “wanted to know everything that we had seen and then they asked me to send them the pictures and they sent a map of the reservoir, asking me to point out where the stones were.

“The German police were very interested in what we had.”

The 66-year-old described the shrine as “very strange”.

Ann, 67, said: “Thinking about it now gives me goosebumps because when we saw where the police were searching the past few days you could see that’s where the row of stones was pointing to.”

“Back then when we found it the whole thing was just so weird. At the time I thought, ‘has someone dumped Madeleine in the water and then come back to make a shrine in her memory?’ It was so odd.”

Officers concluded their search of the Algarve reservoir on Thursday, where Christian Brueckner reportedly visited “some days” after the three-year-old vanished on May 3, 2007.

Brueckner has denied any involvement.

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Saturday 27 May 2023 21:37 , Sam Rkaina

The fresh search at the reservoir – one of six in the Algarve – is the first in Portugal since 2014, and comes as the Metropolitan Police were granted a further £110,000 by the Home Office to fund their search for Madeleine, who would turn 20 this month.

It brings the total amount spent on the search for the Leicestershire-born girl, codenamed Operation Grange, to just shy of £13.1m since 2011, and is significantly less than the more than £300,000 approved by the Home Office the year prior.

While the costs incurred by German and Portuguese authorities are unknown, Lisbon’s then-attorney general Fernando Jose Pinto Monteiro said in 2012 that the search for Madeleine had been the most expensive in the country’s history.

 (PA Media)
(PA Media)

Investigators downplay hopes of breakthrough after search

Saturday 27 May 2023 20:29 , Sam Rkaina

As police concluded their three-day search on Thursday, they confirmed “materials collected” had been sent to Germany for analysis.

But a source close to the investigation told Reuters there was nothing tangible to report, while German prosecutor Christian Wolters played down hopes of a breakthrough, saying: “Of course, there is a certain expectation, but it is not high.”

He added that the investigators were looking for a body, but also for anything that could help the investigation, such as clothing.

Mr Wolters said he did not expect the results of the studies of the collected samples to be announced any time soon.

Timeline of the search part 3: The 2020s

Saturday 27 May 2023 19:32 , Sam Rkaina

2020

– June 3: Police reveal that a 43-year-old German prisoner, later named as Christian Brueckner, has been identified as a suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance.

– June 4: Scotland Yard’s Operation Grange, which had received £12.3 million in funding up to April 2020, is still a missing person inquiry as detectives have no “definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead”.

2021

– May 4: Kate and Gerry McCann post a statement on the official Find Madeleine campaign website saying they still cling to the hope of seeing their daughter again as they prepare to mark her 18th birthday on May 12.

2022

– April 21: Christian Brueckner is made an “arguido”, a formal suspect, by Portuguese authorities.

– May 3: The McCann family say it is “essential” they learn the truth of what happened to their daughter on the 15th anniversary of her disappearance.

– October 11: Brueckner, now 45, is charged with three counts of rape and two charges of child sex abuse, unrelated to Madeleine’s disappearance.

2023

– May 3: Kate and Gerry McCann mark the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance by saying she is “still very much missed” and that they “await a breakthrough”.

– May 22: An area near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz, is sealed off as police prepare to start searching on May 23.

– May 23: Searches begin with police divers in the water, and teams including officers with sniffer dogs and rakes and metal poles seen working on the banks. Media and onlookers are kept a mile away from the main search area and a no fly zone is imposed over the water.

– May 25: Police end their three-day search and say materials unearthed during the hunt for evidence over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann at the remote reservoir in Portugal are being sent for analysis.

Timeline of search part 2: the 2010s

Saturday 27 May 2023 18:35 , Sam Rkaina

2011

– May 12: Mrs McCann publishes a book about her daughter’s disappearance, on Madeleine’s eighth birthday.

Scotland Yard launches a review of the case after a request from Home Secretary Theresa May, supported by then-prime minister David Cameron.

2012

– April 25: Scotland Yard detectives say they believe Madeleine could still be alive, release an age-progression picture of how she might look as a nine-year-old, and call on the Portuguese authorities to reopen the case, but Portuguese police say they have found no new material.

2013

– July 4: Scotland Yard confirms it has launched its own investigation, Operation Grange, into Madeleine’s disappearance two years into a review of the case. It has “genuinely new” lines of inquiry and has identified 38 people of interest, including 12 Britons.

– October 24: Portuguese police confirm that a review of their original investigation has uncovered new lines of inquiry, and they reopen the case.

2014

– January 29: British detectives fly to Portugal amid claims they are planning to make arrests.

– June 3: Sniffer dogs and specialist teams are used to search an area of scrubland close to where Madeleine went missing.

– December 12: Detectives begin questioning 11 people who it is thought may have information on the case.

2015

– September 16: The Government discloses that the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine has cost more than £10 million.

– October 28: Scotland Yard cuts the number of officers working on the inquiry from 29 to four.

2017

– April 30: The McCanns prepare to mark 10 years since their daughter’s disappearance with a BBC interview in which they vow to do “whatever it takes for as long as it takes” to find her.

2019

– May 3: Local media reports say Portuguese detectives are investigating a foreign paedophile as a suspect in the abduction of Madeleine.

Timeline of main events since Madeleine McCann disappeared: part 1

Saturday 27 May 2023 17:27 , Sam Rkaina

As the three-day hunt for evidence in and around a reservoir in Portugal has ended, here is a timeline of key events since the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

2007

– May 3: Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, leave their children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in southern Portugal while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Nothing is amiss when Mr McCann checks on the youngsters just after 9pm, but when his wife goes back at about 10pm she finds Madeleine missing.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends dining with the McCanns, reports having seen a man carrying a child earlier that night.

– May 14: Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese property developer Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an “arguido”, or formal suspect, but this is later withdrawn.

– August 11: Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

– September 7: During questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both “arguidos” in their daughter’s disappearance.

– September 9: The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

2008

– July 21: The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the “arguido” status of the McCanns and Robert Murat.

The three-day search in pictures

Saturday 27 May 2023 16:32 , Tara Cobham

Police officers are seen at the site of a remote reservoir where a search was underway for evidence related to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (REUTERS)
Police officers are seen at the site of a remote reservoir where a search was underway for evidence related to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (REUTERS)
Portuguese Judicial Police (PJ) criminal investigation unit members leave the base camp set near the Arade dam in Silves on May 25 (AFP via Getty Images)
Portuguese Judicial Police (PJ) criminal investigation unit members leave the base camp set near the Arade dam in Silves on May 25 (AFP via Getty Images)
Portuguese police investigators dismantle base camp at the end of the three-day search for remains of Madeleine McCann (Getty Images)
Portuguese police investigators dismantle base camp at the end of the three-day search for remains of Madeleine McCann (Getty Images)

Analysis of materials discovered ‘will take several weeks'

Saturday 27 May 2023 14:13 , Tara Cobham

The analysis of the materials gathered in the new search in the Madeleine McCann investigation will take several weeks, according to a German prosecutor.

Speaking to the BBC, Braunschweig prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters also said there had been good reason to scour the Arade reservoir area in the Algarve

He continued: “We work continuously on this case but not everything we do is made public. We continuously investigate and interview.

“There are repeated searches, not all of them are in the eye of the public like this one was. Much of what we’re doing you won’t notice.”

And he added: “Nothing has changed with regard to our suspect in the last three years. We have found nothing in the last three years that would contradict our suspicion.

“We haven’t found anything which would exonerate him. We’ve found nothing which would rule him out. We haven’t yet disclosed all the evidence against him and we don’t want to do that now.

“Of course, you can rightly assume that within the last three years various pieces of the puzzle were added but it’s not the right time for us to publish that.”

ICYMI: Who is suspect Christian Brueckner?

Saturday 27 May 2023 09:31 , Tara Cobham

Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has puzzled detectives for more than 15 years – but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged. Now, police are searching a remote reservoir in Portugal’s the Algarve that he used to visit in a renewed effort to shed further light on the case.

German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.

Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment while her parents and family friends dined 180 feet away. Her two-year-old twin siblings were also in the apartment she went missing from. Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann have been searching for answers ever since.

The Metropolitan Police took over the investigation, Operation Grange, in 2011 but they hit dead ends. There has not been another significant suspect in the case since 2007 until Brueckner.

Lucy Skoulding reports:

All we know about Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner and the accusations against him

ICYMI: Police leave holes two feet deep as reservoir hunt ends

Saturday 27 May 2023 00:00 , Martha Mchardy

Police hunting a remote reservoir in Portugal for evidence linked to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have left holes around two feet deep.

As part of this investigation, police dug holes of around 60cm and these have been left, along with piles of soil, now that authorities have left the digging area.

The surrounding woodland showed pathways had been cut by heavy machinery, leading to the main flattened 160 square foot excavation area.

Broken rocks were also scattered around the site in Portugal, after pickaxes were seen used by personnel over the course of three days.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

Police leave holes two feet deep as Madeleine McCann reservoir search ends

In pictures: Scene of Madeleine McCann police search

Friday 26 May 2023 23:00 , Martha McHardy

Portuguese police investigators dismantle base camp at the end of the three-day search for remains of Madeleine McCann (Getty Images)
Portuguese police investigators dismantle base camp at the end of the three-day search for remains of Madeleine McCann (Getty Images)
Holes dug apparently for soil samples in the area around Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal, after the area was reopened to media (PA)
Holes dug apparently for soil samples in the area around Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal, after the area was reopened to media (PA)
The area around Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal (PA)
The area around Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal (PA)

ICYMI: Madeleine McCann police give update as they end search of Portugal reservoir

Friday 26 May 2023 22:00 , Martha Mchardy

Police have said materials unearthed during a three-day hunt for evidence over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann at a remote reservoir in Portugal are being sent off for analysis.

Authorities have been scouring Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve this week, using sniffer dogs and cutting down trees as part of the search inland from the coastal resort where the then-three-year-old went missing in 2007.

As police concluded their three-day search on Thursday, they confirmed “materials collected” had been sent to Germany for analysis.

A source close to the investigation told Reuters there was nothing tangible to report, while German prosecutor Christian Wolters played down hopes of a breakthrough, saying: “Of course, there is a certain expectation, but it is not high.”

William Mata reports:

Madeleine McCann police give update as they end search of Portugal reservoir

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Friday 26 May 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy

The fresh search at the reservoir – one of six in the Algarve – is the first in Portugal since 2014, and comes as the Metropolitan Police were granted a further £110,000 by the Home Office to fund their search for Madeleine, who would turn 20 this month.

It brings the total amount spent on the search for the Leicestershire-born girl, codenamed Operation Grange, to just shy of £13.1m since 2011, and is significantly less than the more than £300,000 approved by the Home Office the year prior.

Andy Gregory reports:

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Madeleine McCann case: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance

Friday 26 May 2023 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Here is a reminder of the events of the case:

The story began when the McCanns – affluent doctors Kate and Gerry, their three-year-old daughter Madeleine and her two-year-old twin siblings – joined a group of seven family friends and their five children on holiday at the Ocean Club in the village of Praia da Luz on the southwestern tip of Portugal on 28 April 2007.

After a pleasant spring break by the sea, the adults in the party went out for dinner at the resort’s open-air tapas bar on 3 May, gathering at 8.30pm. The children were left behind sleeping in their respective apartments with the doors unlocked and a rota system in place among the parents to ensure that someone returned every half-hour to check on them.

When Kate McCann took her turn and returned to her apartment at 10pm, she raced back to the restaurant screaming “Madeleine’s gone! Someone’s taken her!” The police were quickly called and 60 staff and fellow guests searched the complex, calling out the girl’s name in vain until daybreak the following morning.

Madeleine McCann: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance

In pictures: Portugal reservoir where three-day search took place

Friday 26 May 2023 19:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

 (PA)
(PA)
 (REUTERS)
(REUTERS)

Watch: Footage shows holes in the ground in Portugal as search ends

Friday 26 May 2023 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

ICYMI: German prosecutor says clues to McCann child disappearance possible at Portuguese dam site

Friday 26 May 2023 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In case you missed it...

Police searching for clues regarding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the British child who went missing in 2007 in Portugal, were concentrating operations Wednesday in several areas around a dam, including one where media reports say a lead suspect in the case often stayed.

The latest search for clues regarding the disappearance started Tuesday following a request by German authorities. Some 30 Portuguese, German and British police are taking part in the operation at the Arade dam, which is located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the resort of Praia da Luz, where the 3-year-old girl was last seen 16 years ago.

Madeleine McCann search area mapped as police focus on reservoir in Portugal

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Friday 26 May 2023 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Sixteen years after Madeleine McCann vanished from the Algarve holiday apartment where she was sleeping next to her infant twin siblings, police have launched a major new search for evidence.

After laying dormant for several years since David Cameron kickstarted an ultimately fruitless Metropolitan Police inquiry in 2011, the case of the missing three-year-old was revived once more in 2020 when German prosecutors revealed a new suspect.

But three years on, 43-year-old convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner – who denies any connection to the missing youngster – is yet to be charged, as he languishes in a German prison for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman two years prior to Madeleine’s disappearance at the same resort.

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Why has the Madeleine McCann case resurfaced?

Friday 26 May 2023 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Despite the best efforts of investigators, the McCann case had lain dormant for several years before it suddenly exploded back into life in June 2020.

German media revealed that Christian Brueckner, a prisoner, now aged 45, with a track record of child abuse and drug trafficking, had been identified as a new suspect by the public prosecutor of the German city of Braunschweig.

He was reportedly living in a Volkswagen camper van in the Algarve at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.

German investigators have classified their probe into his movements as a murder inquiry, saying they are working on the assumption that Madeleine is dead. They reported in July 2021 that they had found an abandoned cellar beneath his former allotment near Hanover where she could, theoretically, have been held captive.

A search dingy navigates in the Arade dam near Silves, Portugal (AP)
A search dingy navigates in the Arade dam near Silves, Portugal (AP)

Madeleine McCann reservoir search: What do we know about Portugal’s Barragem do Arade?

Friday 26 May 2023 16:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Police in Portugal investigating the disappearance of British citizen Madeleine McCann 16 years ago have begun searching a reservoir in the Algarve known to have been frequented by the latest suspect in the case.

Ms McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, was just three years old when she went missing from an apartment complex at the Ocean Club holiday resort of Praia da Luz in the municipality of Lagos on 3 May 2007.

Her case remains unsolved and is still the subject of intense public and press interest.

What do we know about the reservoir being searched by Madeleine McCann investigators?

Madeleine McCann search: Police leave holes two feet deep as reservoir hunt ends

Friday 26 May 2023 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Police hunting a remote reservoir in Portugal for evidence linked to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have left holes around two feet deep.

The three-day search was concluded on Thursday after officers were instructed to stand down at the Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve.

The remote dam is located around 31 miles from the Praia de Luz resort- the hotel where Madeleine vanished while her parents were at dinner in a tapas bar with friends around 100 yards away from their holiday apartment.

Police leave holes two feet deep as Madeleine McCann reservoir search ends

Madeleine McCann case: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance

Friday 26 May 2023 15:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Madeleine McCann, a three-year-old girl from Rothley, Leicestershire, went missing from the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve on 3 May 2007, a case still unsolved and still the subject of intense interest among the public and press.

Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, posted a statement on the Find Madeleine website on 3 May 2023 marking the latest anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance, reiterating their hopes of being reunited with her one day and posting a poem, “The Contradiction” by Clare Pollard, to express their feelings.

“Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction. Still missing... still very much missed,” they wrote.

“The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough. Thank you to everyone for your support- it really helps.”

Madeleine McCann: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance

Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him

Friday 26 May 2023 14:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has puzzled detectives for more than 15 years – but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged.

German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year.

His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.

Brueckner is a prolific burglar and has been previously convicted for sex crimes against young girls.

He was born in Germany in 1976 and moved to Portugal in his late teens.

It is believed he lived there between 1995 and 2007 working in the food industry.

Brueckner is described as being about 6ft tall, slim and white with short blond hair.

 (Reuters)
(Reuters)

ICYMI: How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Friday 26 May 2023 14:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Sixteen years after Madeleine McCann vanished from the Algarve holiday apartment where she was sleeping next to her infant twin siblings, police have launched a major new search for evidence.

After laying dormant for several years since David Cameron kickstarted an ultimately fruitless Metropolitan Police inquiry in 2011, the case of the missing three-year-old was revived once more in 2020 when German prosecutors revealed a new suspect.

But three years on, 43-year-old convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner – who denies any connection to the missing youngster – is yet to be charged, as he languishes in a German prison for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman two years prior to Madeleine’s disappearance at the same resort.

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Madeleine McCann reservoir search: What do we know about Portugal’s Barragem do Arade?

Friday 26 May 2023 13:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police have said materials unearthed during a three-day hunt for evidence over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann at a remote reservoir in Portugal are being sent off for analysis.

Authorities have been scouring Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve this week, using sniffer dogs and cutting down trees as part of the search inland from the coastal resort where the then-three-year-old went missing in 2007.

Madeleine McCann police give update as they end search of Portugal reservoir

Police flatten area of woodland and dig holes in Madeleine McCann searches

Friday 26 May 2023 13:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police have flattened a concentrated area of woodland and dug a number of holes near a remote reservoir in Portugal as part of their three-day hunt for evidence in the Madeleine McCann case.

Huge piles of soil and broken rock were left next to the 160 sq ft area close to the banks of the Barragem do Arade, where officers were seen with shovels for a number of hours on Wednesday afternoon.

Portuguese police confirmed the search concluded on Thursday, and said materials had been sent to Germany for testing.

The surrounding woodland showed pathways had been cut by heavy machinery, with large branches lining the routes towards the area of focus.

The small section of woodland was clearly marked out by officers over the course of their three-day search in Portugal.

The cordon around the site, which had been in place since Tuesday morning to allow officers to scour the area with rakes, pickaxes and sniffer dogs, has since been lifted.

Police were given the go-ahead to search the area after German prosecutors received “certain tips” about the case.

A few kilometres away from the search, blue tents had been erected for briefings to take place.

German prosecutor plays down hope of a breakthrough

Friday 26 May 2023 12:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A source close to the investigation told Reuters there was nothing tangible to report, while German prosecutor Christian Wolters played down hopes of a breakthrough, saying: “Of course, there is a certain expectation, but it is not high.”

He added that the investigators were looking for a body, but also for anything that could help the investigation, such as clothing.

Mr Wolters said he did not expect the results of the studies of the collected samples to be announced any time soon.

Madeleine McCann case: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance

Friday 26 May 2023 12:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Kate and Gerry McCann’s eldest daughter vanished from Portuguese holiday resort 16 years ago but emergence of new suspect has brought fresh hope of answers and closure:

Madeleine McCann: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance

Madeleine McCann search: Police leave holes two feet deep as reservoir hunt ends

Friday 26 May 2023 11:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Police hunting a remote reservoir in Portugal for evidence linked to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have left holes around two feet deep.

The three-day search was concluded on Thursday after officers were instructed to stand down at the Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve.

The remote dam is located around 31 miles from the Praia de Luz resort- the hotel where Madeleine vanished while her parents were at dinner in a tapas bar with friends around 100 yards away from their holiday apartment.

Police leave holes two feet deep as Madeleine McCann reservoir search ends

Portugal police end latest search for clues into missing McCann child case, no results released

Friday 26 May 2023 11:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police in Portugal have ended the latest search for clues regarding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the British child who went missing in 2007 in southern Portugal.

Authorities gave no details about the results of the search Thursday. A statement by Portugal’s Judiciary Police said some material had been collected and would be handed over to German authorities for examination.

The search around a dam some 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Praia da Luz resort, where the three-year-old girl was last seen 16 years ago, began Tuesday following a request by German authorities.

A German man who is a suspect in the case is currently in jail in Germany for a different case.

Portuguese, German and British police took part in the three-day operation during which detectives probed the banks of the Arade reservoir and also used sniffer dogs and a drone.

Portugal police end latest search for clues into missing McCann child case, no results released

Madeleine McCann police cut down trees as they search suspect’s ‘little paradise’ in Portugal

Friday 26 May 2023 11:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police have cut down trees and swathes of undergrowth as they continued to search Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner’s “little paradise” in Portugal.

Officers were working with strimmers and heavy machinery at the Barragem do Arade on Wednesday, around 30 miles from where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

On the second day of the latest hunt for the missing girl, the search team were morning focusing on a valley slightly north of a secluded clearing behind trees near where three tents were put up on Monday.

The dense vegetation meant they had to use tools including chainsaws to remove trees to access the water properly.

Officers are also understood to be searching the reservoir for the pink pyjamas Madeleine was wearing when she vanished, sources close to the investigation have said.

Madeleine McCann: Sniffer dogs and pickaxes used to scour reservoir

Friday 26 May 2023 10:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him

Friday 26 May 2023 10:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has puzzled detectives for more than 15 years – but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged. Now, police are searching a remote reservoir in Portugal’s the Algarve that he used to visit in a renewed effort to shed further light on the case.

German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.

All we know about Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner and the accusations against him

How the search was completed

Friday 26 May 2023 09:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

As part of this latest three-day investigation, police dug holes of around 60cm and these have been left, along with piles of soil, now that authorities have left the digging area.

The surrounding woodland showed pathways had been cut by heavy machinery, leading to the main flattened 160 square-foot excavation area. A no-fly zone was also imposed over the reservoir for the first two days.

In a statement, police in Portugal said: “[The search] resulted in the collection of some material that will be subject to the competent expertise. The material collected will be handed over to the German authorities.”

The new searches come as the Home Office granted an extra £110,000 in funding this financial year for the Metropolitan Police to assist with finding Madeleine, down from just over £300,000 last year.

The total funding given to Operation Grange has been just under £13.1 million since 2011.

Police flatten area of woodland and dig holes in Madeleine McCann searches

Friday 26 May 2023 09:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police have flattened a concentrated area of woodland and dug a number of holes near a remote reservoir in Portugal as part of their three-day hunt for evidence in the Madeleine McCann case.

Huge piles of soil and broken rock were left next to the 160 sq ft area close to the banks of the Barragem do Arade, where officers were seen with shovels for a number of hours on Wednesday afternoon.

Portuguese police confirmed the search concluded on Thursday, and said materials had been sent to Germany for testing.

The surrounding woodland showed pathways had been cut by heavy machinery, with large branches lining the routes towards the area of focus.

The small section of woodland was clearly marked out by officers over the course of their three-day search in Portugal.

The cordon around the site, which had been in place since Tuesday morning to allow officers to scour the area with rakes, pickaxes and sniffer dogs, has since been lifted.

Police were given the go-ahead to search the area after German prosecutors received “certain tips” about the case.

A few kilometres away from the search, blue tents had been erected for briefings to take place.

Madeleine McCann police give update as they end search of Portugal reservoir

Friday 26 May 2023 08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police have said materials unearthed during a three-day hunt for evidence over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann at a remote reservoir in Portugal are being sent off for analysis.

Authorities have been scouring Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve this week, using sniffer dogs and cutting down trees as part of the search inland from the coastal resort where the then-three-year-old went missing in 2007.

As police concluded their three-day search on Thursday, they confirmed “materials collected” had been sent to Germany for analysis.

A source close to the investigation told Reuters there was nothing tangible to report, while German prosecutor Christian Wolters played down hopes of a breakthrough, saying: “Of course, there is a certain expectation, but it is not high.”

He added that the investigators were looking for a body, but also for anything that could help the investigation, such as clothing.

‘Relevant clue’ found in search of reservoir

Friday 26 May 2023 08:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A three-day search of a remote Portugal reservoir has resulted in the reported discovery of a “relevant clue” linked to the disappearace of Madeleine McCann.

Officers concluded their search of the Algarve reservoir on Thursday, where key suspect Christian Brueckner reportedly visited “some days” after the three-year-old vanished on May 3, 2007.

Using sniffer dogs and a tractor-based tree-cutter, authorities scoured Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve - around 31 miles inland from where the McCanns were staying in the Praia de Luz resort.

During the search, a “relevant clue” was found which led to police officers concentrating on a specific paper, according to the Correio de Manhã newspaper.

Police in Portugal said: “[The search] resulted in the collection of some material that will be subject to the competent expertise. The material collected will be handed over to the German authorities.”

 (REUTERS)
(REUTERS)

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Friday 26 May 2023 08:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Sixteen years after Madeleine McCann vanished from the Algarve holiday apartment where she was sleeping next to her infant twin siblings, police have launched a major new search for evidence.

After laying dormant for several years since David Cameron kickstarted an ultimately fruitless Metropolitan Police inquiry in 2011, the case of the missing three-year-old was revived once more in 2020 when German prosecutors revealed a new suspect.

But three years on, 43-year-old convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner – who denies any connection to the missing youngster – is yet to be charged, as he languishes in a German prison for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman two years prior to Madeleine’s disappearance at the same resort.

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

ICYMI: Madeleine McCann police cut down trees as they search suspect’s ‘little paradise’ in Portugal

Friday 26 May 2023 07:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police have cut down trees and swathes of undergrowth as they continued to search Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner’s “little paradise” in Portugal.

Officers were working with strimmers and heavy machinery at the Barragem do Arade on Wednesday, around 30 miles from where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

On the second day of the latest hunt for the missing girl, the search team were morning focusing on a valley slightly north of a secluded clearing behind trees near where three tents were put up on Monday.

The dense vegetation meant they had to use tools including chainsaws to remove trees to access the water properly.

Officers are also understood to be searching the reservoir for the pink pyjamas Madeleine was wearing when she vanished, sources close to the investigation have said.

German prosecutor plays down hope of a breakthrough

Friday 26 May 2023 07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A source close to the investigation told Reuters there was nothing tangible to report, while German prosecutor Christian Wolters played down hopes of a breakthrough, saying: “Of course, there is a certain expectation, but it is not high.”

He added that the investigators were looking for a body, but also for anything that could help the investigation, such as clothing.

Mr Wolters said he did not expect the results of the studies of the collected samples to be announced any time soon.

Portugal police end latest search for clues into missing McCann child case, no results released

Friday 26 May 2023 06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police in Portugal have ended the latest search for clues regarding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the British child who went missing in 2007 in southern Portugal.

Authorities gave no details about the results of the search Thursday. A statement by Portugal’s Judiciary Police said some material had been collected and would be handed over to German authorities for examination.

The search around a dam some 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Praia da Luz resort, where the three-year-old girl was last seen 16 years ago, began Tuesday following a request by German authorities.

A German man who is a suspect in the case is currently in jail in Germany for a different case.

Portuguese, German and British police took part in the three-day operation during which detectives probed the banks of the Arade reservoir and also used sniffer dogs and a drone.

Portugal police end latest search for clues into missing McCann child case, no results released

How the search was completed

Friday 26 May 2023 06:00 , William Mata

As part of this latest three-day investigation, police dug holes of around 60cm and these have been left, along with piles of soil, now that authorities have left the digging area.

The surrounding woodland showed pathways had been cut by heavy machinery, leading to the main flattened 160 square-foot excavation area. A no-fly zone was also imposed over the reservoir for the first two days.

In a statement, police in Portugal said: “[The search] resulted in the collection of some material that will be subject to the competent expertise. The material collected will be handed over to the German authorities.”

The new searches come as the Home Office granted an extra £110,000 in funding this financial year for the Metropolitan Police to assist with finding Madeleine, down from just over £300,000 last year.

The total funding given to Operation Grange has been just under £13.1 million since 2011.

Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him

Friday 26 May 2023 05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year.

His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.

Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment while her parents and family friends dined 180 feet away. Her two-year-old twin siblings were also in the apartment she went missing from. Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann have been searching for answers ever since.

The Metropolitan Police took over the investigation, Operation Grange, in 2011 but they hit dead ends. There has not been another significant suspect in the case since 2007 until Brueckner.

All we know about Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner and the accusations against him

Police flatten area of woodland and dig holes in Madeleine McCann searches

Friday 26 May 2023 05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police have flattened a concentrated area of woodland and dug a number of holes near a remote reservoir in Portugal as part of their three-day hunt for evidence in the Madeleine McCann case.

Huge piles of soil and broken rock were left next to the 160 sq ft area close to the banks of the Barragem do Arade, where officers were seen with shovels for a number of hours on Wednesday afternoon.

Portuguese police confirmed the search concluded on Thursday, and said materials had been sent to Germany for testing.

The surrounding woodland showed pathways had been cut by heavy machinery, with large branches lining the routes towards the area of focus.

The small section of woodland was clearly marked out by officers over the course of their three-day search in Portugal.

The cordon around the site, which had been in place since Tuesday morning to allow officers to scour the area with rakes, pickaxes and sniffer dogs, has since been lifted.

Police were given the go-ahead to search the area after German prosecutors received “certain tips” about the case.

A few kilometres away from the search, blue tents had been erected for briefings to take place.

Madeleine McCann police give update as they end search of Portugal reservoir

Friday 26 May 2023 04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police have said materials unearthed during a three-day hunt for evidence over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann at a remote reservoir in Portugal are being sent off for analysis.

Authorities have been scouring Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve this week, using sniffer dogs and cutting down trees as part of the search inland from the coastal resort where the then-three-year-old went missing in 2007.

As police concluded their three-day search on Thursday, they confirmed “materials collected” had been sent to Germany for analysis.

A source close to the investigation told Reuters there was nothing tangible to report, while German prosecutor Christian Wolters played down hopes of a breakthrough, saying: “Of course, there is a certain expectation, but it is not high.”

He added that the investigators were looking for a body, but also for anything that could help the investigation, such as clothing.

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Friday 26 May 2023 04:00 , William Mata

Sixteen years after Madeleine McCann vanished from the Algarve holiday apartment where she was sleeping next to her infant twin siblings, police have launched a major new search for evidence.

After laying dormant for several years since David Cameron kickstarted an ultimately fruitless Metropolitan Police inquiry in 2011, the case of the missing three-year-old was revived once more in 2020 when German prosecutors revealed a new suspect.

But three years on, 43-year-old convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner – who denies any connection to the missing youngster – is yet to be charged, as he languishes in a German prison for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman two years prior to Madeleine’s disappearance at the same resort.

Click here for more information

Pictures: Search for Madeleine McCann continues

Friday 26 May 2023 03:00 , William Mata

Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave (PA)
Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave (PA)
Vehicles and tents of Portugal's investigative Judicial Police are seen at the site of a remote reservoir where a new search for the body of Madeleine McCann is set to take place, in Silves (REUTERS)
Vehicles and tents of Portugal's investigative Judicial Police are seen at the site of a remote reservoir where a new search for the body of Madeleine McCann is set to take place, in Silves (REUTERS)
Police officers are seen at the site of a remote reservoir where search is underway for evidence related to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (REUTERS)
Police officers are seen at the site of a remote reservoir where search is underway for evidence related to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (REUTERS)
Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal, as searches continue as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (PA)
Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal, as searches continue as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (PA)

Madeleine McCann case: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance

Friday 26 May 2023 02:00 , William Mata

Madeleine McCann, a three-year-old girl from Rothley, Leicestershire, went missing from the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve on May 3, 2007.

For more than 16 years the case has gripped the public attention but while there have been some signs of progress, the investigation has remained unsolved.

Here is a reminder of the events of the case.

Madeleine McCann (Getty)
Madeleine McCann (Getty)

Watch: Sniffer dogs and pickaxes used to scour reservoir

Friday 26 May 2023 01:00 , William Mata

Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him

Friday 26 May 2023 00:00 , William Mata

German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year.

His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.

Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment while her parents and family friends dined 180 feet away. Her two-year-old twin siblings were also in the apartment she went missing from. Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann have been searching for answers ever since.

The Metropolitan Police took over the investigation, Operation Grange, in 2011 but they hit dead ends. There has not been another significant suspect in the case since 2007 until Brueckner.

Read the full story here.

Christian Brueckner (Reuters)
Christian Brueckner (Reuters)

How the search was completed

Thursday 25 May 2023 23:00 , William Mata

As part of this latest three-day investigation, police dug holes of around 60cm and these have been left, along with piles of soil, now that authorities have left the digging area.

The surrounding woodland showed pathways had been cut by heavy machinery, leading to the main flattened 160 square-foot excavation area. A no-fly zone was also imposed over the reservoir for the first two days.

In a statement, police in Portugal said: “[The search] resulted in the collection of some material that will be subject to the competent expertise. The material collected will be handed over to the German authorities.”

The new searches come as the Home Office granted an extra £110,000 in funding this financial year for the Metropolitan Police to assist with finding Madeleine, down from just over £300,000 last year.

The total funding given to Operation Grange has been just under £13.1 million since 2011.

Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal, as searches continue as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (PA Wire)
Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal, as searches continue as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (PA Wire)

German prosecutor plays down hope of a breakthrough

Thursday 25 May 2023 22:00 , William Mata

A source close to the investigation told Reuters there was nothing tangible to report, while German prosecutor Christian Wolters played down hopes of a breakthrough, saying: “Of course, there is a certain expectation, but it is not high.”

He added that the investigators were looking for a body, but also for anything that could help the investigation, such as clothing.

Mr Wolters said he did not expect the results of the studies of the collected samples to be announced any time soon.

Hans Christian Wolters, spokesman for the public prosecutor's office in Braunschweig, Germany (Martin Meissner/AP)
Hans Christian Wolters, spokesman for the public prosecutor's office in Braunschweig, Germany (Martin Meissner/AP)

Madeleine McCann police give update as they end search of Portugal reservoir

Thursday 25 May 2023 21:01 , William Mata

Police have said materials unearthed during a three-day hunt for evidence over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann at a remote reservoir in Portugal are being sent off for analysis.

Authorities have been scouring Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve this week, using sniffer dogs and cutting down trees as part of the search inland from the coastal resort where the then-three-year-old went missing in 2007.

As police concluded their three-day search on Thursday, they confirmed “materials collected” had been sent to Germany for analysis.

Members of the media at Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal after the area was reopened to media (PA Wire)
Members of the media at Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal after the area was reopened to media (PA Wire)

Officers photograph excavation site before police told to stand down

Thursday 25 May 2023 14:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Police were seen photographing an excavation site near the banks of a remote reservoir in Portugal as the fresh Madeleine McCann searches entered a third day.

Officers maintained their focus on an area of woodland on a peninsula at the Barragem do Arade on Thursday after a digging operation was commenced on Wednesday afternoon.

Heavy machinery, which had been used to cut through the vast undergrowth, was removed from the search area on Thursday afternoon amid reports that officers had been told to stand down by 4pm.

A large section of the Barragem do Arade has been cordoned off since Tuesday morning, around 30 miles from where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

Officers used shovels to excavate their area of focus, and sniffer dogs and pickaxes have also been deployed over the course of the searches.

As some concentrated on the digging site, others used rakes and shovels to scour the surrounding area, slowly making their way through the recently trimmed undergrowth.

The operation is being carried out at the request of German investigators who believe their prime suspect, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, kidnapped and murdered the youngster.

 (PA)
(PA)

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Thursday 25 May 2023 14:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Sixteen years after Madeleine McCann vanished from the Algarve holiday apartment where she was sleeping next to her infant twin siblings, police have launched a major new search for evidence.

After laying dormant for several years since David Cameron kickstarted an ultimately fruitless Metropolitan Police inquiry in 2011, the case of the missing three-year-old was revived once more in 2020 when German prosecutors revealed a new suspect.

But three years on, 43-year-old convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner – who denies any connection to the missing youngster – is yet to be charged, as he languishes in a German prison for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman two years prior to Madeleine’s disappearance at the same resort.

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

ICYMI: Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him

Thursday 25 May 2023 14:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has puzzled detectives for more than 15 years – but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged. Now, police are searching a remote reservoir in Portugal’s the Algarve that he used to visit in a renewed effort to shed further light on the case.

German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.

All we know about Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner and the accusations against him

In pictures: Scenes at Portugal reservoir today

Thursday 25 May 2023 13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

 (REUTERS)
(REUTERS)
 (PA)
(PA)

Watch: Madeleine McCann: Sniffer dogs and pickaxes used to scour reservoir

Thursday 25 May 2023 13:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Portugal reservoir search to end in hours as police told to ‘stand down'

Thursday 25 May 2023 12:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Madeleine McCann search is expected to end in hours as Portugal police have been ordered to stand down at the Algarve reservoir.

An investigation has been taking place since Tuesday this week after German detectives were informed by a “very credible source” that key suspect Christian Brueckner visited the reservoir “some days” after Madeleine vanished.

However, The Mirror reported that a police souce said: “The GNR has received instructions to stand down at 4pm local time.”

The Barragem do Arade is around 31 miles from the Praia da Luz resort where Maddy disappeared. Investigators believe the 45-year-old killed Madeleine, then aged three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment.

ICYMI: Madeleine McCann police searching remote location visited by key suspect

Thursday 25 May 2023 12:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police looking for Madeleine McCann are to begin a major search of a remote Algarve reservoir visited by main suspect Christian Brueckner.

The scene is some 30 miles from the Praia da Luz holiday resort where the three-year-old vanished in May 2007. A mile-long peninsula jutting into the reservoir was sealed off just after midday on Monday, with several local council lorries spotted there as tents and other structures were erected.

Just under a mile away, Portuguese civil protection workers and police were seen setting up large blue tents.

An onlooker said: “There are around two dozen Policia Judiciaria officers who seem to be supervising things at this stage.”

Portugal’s judiciary police confirmed reports of the German-led investigation on Monday evening, with German and British officers expected to reach the area imminently.

Live: Portugal's police continue search in dam for Madeleine McCann on third day

Thursday 25 May 2023 12:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch the livestream of Portugal’s police searching the Algarve reservoir on the third day of the Madeleine McCann search.

Live: Portugal's police continue search in dam for Madeleine McCann on third day

Madeleine McCann case: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance

Thursday 25 May 2023 12:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Kate and Gerry McCann’s eldest daughter vanished from Portuguese holiday resort 16 years ago but emergence of new suspect has brought fresh hope of answers and closure:

What happened to Madeleine McCann?

Officers photograph digging site on day three of Madeleine McCann search

Thursday 25 May 2023 11:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Police have begun photographing an excavation site near the banks of a remote reservoir in Portugal as the fresh Madeleine McCann searches entered a third day.

Officers maintained their focus on an area of woodland on a peninsula at the Barragem do Arade on Thursday after a digging operation was commenced on Wednesday afternoon.

Heavy machinery continued to cut through vast undergrowth at the site, while a mixture of uniformed and plain-clothed officers raked the ground.

A large section of the Barragem do Arade has been cordoned off since Tuesday morning, around 30 miles from where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

Officers used shovels to excavate their area of focus, and sniffer dogs and pickaxes have also been deployed over the course of the searches.

As some concentrated on the digging site, others used rakes and shovels to scour the surrounding area, slowly making their way through the recently trimmed undergrowth.

The operation is being carried out at the request of German investigators who believe their prime suspect, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, kidnapped and murdered the youngster.

He is currently in prison in Germany for the rape of a woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, and is suspected of further rapes and child sexual abuse committed in the area between 2000 and 2017.

German authorities have not revealed what triggered the latest search operation, but prosecutor for the city of Braunschweig Christian Wolters said they were acting on the basis of “certain tips”.

 (PA)
(PA)

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Thursday 25 May 2023 11:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Sixteen years after Madeleine McCann vanished from the Algarve holiday apartment where she was sleeping next to her infant twin siblings, police have launched a major new search for evidence.

After laying dormant for several years since David Cameron kickstarted an ultimately fruitless Metropolitan Police inquiry in 2011, the case of the missing three-year-old was revived once more in 2020 when German prosecutors revealed a new suspect.

But three years on, 43-year-old convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner – who denies any connection to the missing youngster – is yet to be charged, as he languishes in a German prison for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman two years prior to Madeleine’s disappearance at the same resort.

How much has the Madeleine McCann investigation cost?

Madeleine McCann reservoir search: What do we know about Portugal’s Barragem do Arade?

Thursday 25 May 2023 11:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police in Portugal investigating the disappearance of British citizen Madeleine McCann 16 years ago have begun searching a reservoir in the Algarve known to have been frequented by the latest suspect in the case.

Ms McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, was just three years old when she went missing from an apartment complex at the Ocean Club holiday resort of Praia da Luz in the municipality of Lagos on 3 May 2007.

Her case remains unsolved and is still the subject of intense public and press interest.

Her parents, doctors Gerry and Kate McCann, continue to campaign for her return and recently posted a poem remembering her on their Find Madeleine website, reminding readers that she is “still missing ... still very much missed”.

What do we know about the reservoir being searched by Madeleine McCann investigators?

Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him

Thursday 25 May 2023 10:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has puzzled detectives for more than 15 years – but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged. Now, police are searching a remote reservoir in Portugal’s Algarve that he used to visit in a renewed effort to shed further light on the case.

German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.

All we know about Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner and the accusations against him

ICYMI: Sniffer dogs and pickaxes used by police in fresh Madeleine McCann searches

Thursday 25 May 2023 10:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police have combed the banks of a reservoir in Portugal with the help of sniffer dogs, rakes and pickaxes as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Emergency service divers were seen on a rigid-hull inflatable boat early on Tuesday morning at the Barragem do Arade – around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where the three-year-old went missing in 2007.

Officers concentrated their search at one area of the reservoir – erecting white tents on a hill on the banks.

Further around the water, emergency services and officials from Portugal, Germany and the UK were seen holding briefings near blue police tents.

In the search area, uniformed and plain-clothed officers spent a number of hours scouring the banks – hammering away at the ground with pickaxes and combing through small rocks with rakes and spades.

Sniffer dogs and pickaxes used by police in fresh Madeleine McCann searches

In pictures: Search for Madeleine McCann continues at Portugal’s reservoir

Thursday 25 May 2023 09:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Authorities gather at a Judiciary Police (PJ) makeshift base camp in the Arade dam area as the Madeleine McCann search continues.

 (EPA)
(EPA)
 (EPA)
(EPA)
 (EPA)
(EPA)

Madeleine McCann police searching Portuguese lake ‘for her pink pyjamas’

Thursday 25 May 2023 09:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police are searching a Portuguese lake for the pink pyjamas Madeleine McCann was wearing when she vanished in 2007, sources close to the investigation have said.

Officers are searching the Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal for any fragments of clothing or old rags that could be related to Madeleine’s disappearance, according to reports.

Investigators suspect that 45-year-old German prisoner Christian Brueckner killed Madeleine, then aged three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment.

Madeleine McCann police searching Portuguese lake for ‘her pink pyjamas’

Madeleine McCann case: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance

Thursday 25 May 2023 09:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Kate and Gerry McCann’s eldest daughter vanished from a Portuguese holiday resort 16 years ago but the emergence of a new suspect has brought fresh hope of answers and closure:

What happened to Madeleine McCann?

Watch live: Police scour reservoir for second day in Madeleine McCann search

Thursday 25 May 2023 08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Watch live as police search a reservoir in Portugal for a second day on Wednesday, 23 May, in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Portuguese authorities, assisted by German police, set up tents an area near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, around 50km (31 miles) from where the toddler went missing aged three in Praia da Luz in 2007.

Searches are being conducted at the request of German police in the presence of British officers.

Watch live: Police scour reservoir for second day in Madeleine McCann search