
Madeleine McCann: German police to start fresh searches in Portugal
Fresh searches are to be carried out in Portugal by German police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Madeleine, then aged three, disappeared in 2007 while on holiday with her family in the resort of Praia da Luz after her parents went out to dinner and left her sleeping in a room with her toddler twin siblings.
On Monday, the Sun reported that searches are to be carried out this week near where she was last seen.
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'We are aware of the searches being carried by the BKA (German federal police) in Portugal as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
'The Metropolitan Police Service is not present at the search, we will support our international colleagues where necessary.'
The prime suspect in the case is Christian Brueckner, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for the rape of an elderly woman at her home in the Praia da Luz in 2005.
Read More
Woman who died after Cork City Marathon remembered for 'grace, strength and passion'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mystery couple at centre of bombshell new theory on Maddie McCann disappearance
New bombshell claims have emerged in the Madeleine McCann case with reports that the three-year-old was killed in a drink-driving accident and her body spirited away by a drunken couple. The latest theory was reportedly not acted upon by officials in Germany, despite Portuguese authorities requesting an investigation into a British man and his German wife. The claims include that the man's UK-based sister tipped off cops. But Portuguese media reports the German authorities rejected a request to use an undercover police officer with a fake identity to try to befriend the female suspect. The woman was allegedly driving a car that hit Madeleine whilst under the influence of alcohol, Portuguese daily Correio da Manha claimed today. Follow our liveblog below for go to our homepage for all the latest headlines. A British woman is reported to have tipped off police as long ago as 2018. She is the sister of an unnamed man at the centre of a new theory about Madeleine's disappearance. Describing the mystery couple - a British man and his German wife - as 'alcoholics' they place the woman in a cafe near the Ocean Club where she had been 'drinking' the night Madeleine went missing from the Algarve resort. The Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha has claimed: "German prosecutors were asked to authorise a covert police operation with someone posing as a friend of the woman's and trying to get her to confess, but the courts refused. "It was decided to continue solely with the investigation into suspect Christian Brueckner, rejecting other possibilities.' It has been claimed that the woman of the British man told investigators that she heard the man yelling: 'Why did you bring her?' Portuguese police are reportedly said to have got the knock-back from the Germans after urging them to look more closely into the possibility the woman they were tipped off about had driven home 'drunk' with Maddie after knocking her down and enlisted her husband's help in disposing of the "youngster's body at sea."


Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Search for missing Madeleine McCann called off after nothing found
©Press Association Yesterday at 21:30 German and Portuguese investigators embraced each other as the latest searches connected to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann drew to a close. Search teams wound down the operation in Atalaia, near Lagos, Portugal, yesterday, after three days of scouring scrubland and abandoned structures. Register for free to read this story Register and create a profile to get access to our free stories. You'll also unlock more free stories each week.


The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
David Coote produced an admirable act of humility as picture of shamed ref working as Evri delivery driver went viral
BIZARRELY, David Coote's former career as a Premier League referee will stand him in good stead as a delivery driver. He'll be dealing with two yellows every working day, just as before. 2 Former Premier League referee David Coote has taken on a new career as an Evri delivery driver 2 Coote fell from grace after a video leaked showing him ranting against Jurgen Klopp Credit: PA Only instead of cards, it's those two thick, emulsioned lines by the roadside where he What a come-down for the man who took charge of a Wembley final involving Equally, what an admirable act of humility and courage by someone who brought shame upon himself and his profession but, as he says so himself, 'is trying to move forwards and regain a sense of purpose and responsibility'. When one of football's most promising officials was captured on video, slurring his way through a Read More on Football But as this fascinating story unfolds, By labelling Klopp a German c*** and But maybe he did so as a release from the relentless pressure heaped upon him as a referee at the top level of our national game. At first Coote appears as a p****d-up prima donna, showing off in what he believed was the assured privacy of intimate surroundings with friends, having a pop at Liverpool's manager because he could. Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS It's some fall from officiating the 2023 Carabao Cup final to haring around his home county of Nottinghamshire dropping off parcels part-time for minimum or living wage. But having been sacked by his paymasters at the PGMOL, the fact he is not too proud to take any job to get back on his feet suggests a person ready to pay their penance. Shamed Ref David Coote EXCLUSIVE on death threats, coke battle & coming out | The Sun It's not just the animated reaction of Klopp that is to blame. There are 20 unexploded bombs like him managing in the Premier League because they are under enormous pressure, too. Klopp's heated exchange at Coote after Liverpool did not get a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Burnley is just one example of the dozens that litter every season. Every decision referees make is under more scrutiny than ever before. Whether that's the fault of TV's ever intrusive coverage or that there is silly money involved in men's football today is irrelevant. It's how life is. I imagine Thomas Bramall, the latest referee to be walking around with a target on his back for blowing his whistle too quickly in Aston Villa's final-day defeat at Man Utd is starting to understand the reality of life as a top-class ref. Reality of life as a top-class ref The intricacies of his mistake are too complicated to explain in one column but it's fair to say he cocked up. In their defence, Villa were largely restrained in their vocal reaction despite lodging a formal complaint, as is their right. The wider criticism has been astonishing and whether justified or not, young referee Bramall is being painted a pretty grim picture of what's in store if he stays in his job. It's patently obvious by what's happened to Coote that it's an alarmingly quick process to plummet from the heights of running a showpiece final in front of 90,000 fans to becoming a delivery boy. But while it's tempting to feel sorry for him, we should not. We should instead give credit to a bloke who made a mistake and is now trying to put it behind him without crying out for pity. And perhaps reflect on the foundations of fury that can make referees crumble so spectacularly as he did. Besides, dealing with frothing managers day in, day out who feel totally wronged by even the slightest thing that goes against them is actually the perfect training for becoming a white van man. Try pulling out on him at a T-junction. ************ MILLIE BRIGHT'S shock withdrawal from the Euro 2025 squad reminds of one thing. Women look after themselves better than men, physically and mentally. They tend to be braver than men too when it comes to knowing their limits. It takes courage to pull out of an international tournament — especially when England are defending their European crown. The 31-year-old Chelsea defender admits she had to fight off her ego to make the call. That is something men rarely do enough of, overcome primeval urges and make a decision in favour of their own well-being at the top level of sport. Too many would lose that battle with their own psyche. Pull out and you are still considered a loser among the boys. Bright is a winner for thinking of things more important than football. **************** INGESTING biometric tablets to record things like stress levels from the inside is both fascinating and horrifying. England's players have been doing this under boss Thomas Tuchel's instruction as they prepare for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra. Now, I have no idea if these tablets are single-use, and I don't really want to ask anyone at the Football Association for the details either. But if not, just picture the scene 24 hours after swallowing — when what goes in must come out. Lots of Premier League stars peering down between hairy legs on the loo. And who on earth has the job of washing them? Or maybe each player has his own, complete with initials — like 'HK' for Harry Kane — to avoid unpleasant mix-ups. Yuk. ******** IN the final scene of The Empire Strikes Back, the rebel fleet disperses as Luke Skywalker and pals head for different galaxies at the speed of light. The break-up of Bournemouth's over-achieving squad this summer has a similar ring to it. First Dean Huijsen heads to Real Madrid, now Milos Kerkez looks bound for Liverpool. Newcastle are eyeing Dango Ouattara. Pretty soon the gallant band of brothers — which beat Arsenal (twice) and Nottingham Forest, also coming close to European qualification — will be splintered across the football cosmos, leaving Cherries manager Andoni Iraola standing alone like Obi-Wan Kenobi.