Fresh Madeleine McCann searches in Portugal being conducted by German police
'The Metropolitan Police Service is not present at the search, we will support our international colleagues where necessary.'
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, Kate and Gerry McCann, went out to dinner and left her sleeping in a room with her toddler twin siblings.
On Monday, the Sun reported 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 Praia da Luz in 2005.
German authorities said they are receiving support from Portuguese law enforcement. They last carried out searches in the country in 2023 near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz.
Brueckner, who spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017, had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir. He has denied any involvement in her disappearance.
It had previously been searched in 2008, when Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleine's body was there.
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Later, in 2014, British police were given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished.
Last month Madeleine's family marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance, describing her as 'beautiful and unique' before her 22nd birthday, and expressing their determination to keep searching.
A statement from her parents Kate and Gerry McCann and the family said: 'The years appear to be passing even more quickly and whilst we have no significant news to share, our determination to 'leave no stone unturned' is unwavering. We will do our utmost to achieve this.'
In April, ministers approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating Madeleine's disappearance.
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Wales Online
15 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Madeleine McCann search team finds 'evidence' in abandoned houses
Madeleine McCann search team finds 'evidence' in abandoned houses Police are beginning the second day of their search near abandoned houses a few miles from the town where Madeleine went missing Search teams investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann clearing branches at a derelict property (Image: PA ) Teams investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have taken samples of potential evidence from properties near Praia Da Luz in Portugal. German and Portuguese police have been searching abandoned properties near the area where Madeleine went missing 18 years ago. The search teams were seen using pickaxes, shovels and chainsaws to clear dense vegetation and dig near a derelict building. On Tuesday, fresh searches for Madeleine began in countryside a few miles from Praia da Luz, with firefighters spotted pumping water to drain a well. Madeleine, then aged three, vanished while on holiday with her family in the Algarve resort, after her parents went out to dinner and left her sleeping in a room with her toddler twin siblings. About a dozen officers focused on one abandoned building where digging was taking place, while another member of the search team cleared large rocks. It has been reported that search teams have taken away evidence (Image: PA ) The Daily Express reported that investigation teams have taken samples of potential evidence from properties near Praia Da Luz in Portugal. The search is being carried out at the request of the German investigators, as they look for evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner, who is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. Article continues below He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. It has been reported that teams will look where trenches were dug near the resort at the time of Madeleine's disappearance, at wells, ruins and water tanks, and that there are plans to examine 21 pieces of land. The Metropolitan Police said they were aware of the operation but that British officers will not be present. German investigators and Portuguese officers last carried out searches in 2023, near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. Brueckner, who spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017, had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir. It was previously searched in 2008, when Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it, after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleine's body was there. British police were later given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished in 2014. Last month Madeleine's family, who are from Rothley in Leicestershire, marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance, describing her as "beautiful and unique", before her 22nd birthday, and vowed to continue the search. A statement from her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and the family, said: "The years appear to be passing even more quickly and whilst we have no significant news to share, our determination to 'leave no stone unturned' is unwavering. We will do our utmost to achieve this." In April, ministers approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating Madeleine's disappearance. Article continues below
Sky News
16 minutes ago
- Sky News
Madeleine McCann latest: Search resumes in Portugal after investigators drain well and focus on abandoned building
07:05:01 In pictures: Search teams work around ruins and well Officers are searching over a vast area in southern Portugal, near to where Madeleine was reported missing. Here are some of the images from part of their operation around a derelict building. 06:49:18 Search teams focus on one abandoned building - what officers have done so far With no major updates yet from authorities in Portugal, it's not clear if officers have found anything of note yet. What we do know is they have drained a well and cleared areas of dense vegetation near abandoned buildings in countryside a few miles from Praia da Luz. German investigators joined Portuguese police officers and firefighters as teams used strimmers, shovels and chainsaws to clear undergrowth and debris around an abandoned building. They also drained a well using a yellow hose. About a dozen officers focused on one abandoned building where digging was taking place, while another cleared large rocks. We also know investigators are planning to use radar equipment that can scan 15ft beneath the ground. It's been variously reported that teams will look where trenches were dug near the resort at the time of Madeleine's disappearance. 06:40:28 Good morning Welcome back to our live coverage. Investigators are resuming their search in the Madeleine McCann case, with German and Portuguese officers scouring more than 20 plots of land. Our team is set up near Praia da Luz - where the little girl went missing 18 years ago - and we'll bring you the latest here. To catch up on the developments so far, tap on the video below... 17:00:01 We're pausing our coverage That's all for our coverage of a new search for Madeleine McCann. Police officers are focusing on more than 20 plots of land to the east of Praia da Luz, the Portuguese town where the three-year-old went missing in 2007. Before we go, here's a summary of what you need to know: Police are looking at the farmhouse where German suspect Christian B lived at the time, when he was a local handyman; Investigators are looking for any evidence that Madeleine was brought to the area from the holiday apartment where her family were staying on holiday when she disappeared; According to local media, they are looking at two wells and taking water out to see what they can find inside; Officers are also using ground-penetrating radar equipment as they search the scrubland; Officers blocked off parts of nearby Atalaia but have not said where they will be searching each day; Searches will continue until at least Friday and areas have been cordoned off, with no-fly zones in place for drones. Our correspondent Dan Whitehead has been at the scene of the search on the outskirts of Praia da Luz providing updates throughout the day. You can watch back his report from the site in the video at the top of this page. In an 80-second round-up, our correspondent Alice Porter takes us through what we know about the search here... 16:42:01 Eyewitness: Locals have their say on new police search - as big questions remain unanswered By Dan Whitehead, correspondent near Praia da Luz Dense shrubs, empty barns, disused wells and dirt tracks - the police here have got their work cut out if they're to find evidence relating to Madeleine's disappearance. At 6am this morning, before police cordons were put up, we spoke with an officer - a balaclava covering his face - manning one of the forensic tents. "It's a large area, a different place will be searched each day," he told me. Gusty winds blow up dust on the dirt tracks. The land is used by dog walkers and hikers - and is sparsely populated. But as the crow flies, it's only a mile or so from where the three-year-old was last seen while on holiday with her family in Praia de Luz in 2007. As we stood by the police van, out for his morning run was Tony Gallagher, a Briton who has lived within this new search area for 20 years. He remembers when it all happened: "I know for a fact that they searched up here 20 years ago. I'm not sure what they're hoping to find, because even locals were searching." It's one of the big unanswered questions: just what intelligence is this latest search based on? Has someone come forward? "It feels strange, you know," Tony adds. "I think it will be for the people in Praia da Luz… because it had a whole negative impact there 20 years ago in terms of business and tourists coming and everything. And I hope for the locals that doesn't happen again." At 9am two vans and three cars arrived - all with German number plates. Inside, police, some in camouflage uniforms, ready to begin the search. Police in Germany had asked officials in Portugal for access in April, so this has been weeks in the planning. Madeleine's disappearance is one of the most high-profile missing-person investigations in the world. It's why every new search brings the world's media. At one point, more than 20 journalists were broadcasting live alongside us, lining the road opposite the police. While this new search brings fresh hope, journalists, and more importantly Kate and Gerry McCann, have been here before, many times. Around two years ago a dam 45 minutes from here was searched, but nothing found. In May, on the anniversary of these tragic events, her parents said they will leave "no stone unturned" in the search for their daughter. Eighteen years on, it is a poignant moment - Madeleine would have turned 22 last month. 16:30:01 In pictures: The story of the day as new search for McCann begins We've been bringing you the latest pictures from the police search throughout the day. Here's a look at how things developed - from officers closing roads to searching scrubland. 16:13:01 'Something substantial' must have led police to carry out search, missing persons expert says "Something substantial" must have led the police to carry out this search, a missing persons expert has told Sky News. Speaking to Kamali Melbourne, Charlie Hedges said the operation is "hugely expensive" and involves lots of resources. "They've been able to justify the action by getting warrants from the Portuguese authorities, so there must be something substantial that has led them to look in this area," he explained. "It is quite big, covering lots of different areas, but hopefully it will reveal something that will take us towards the conclusion of this case." Hedges said it is certainly possible that officers could find something that was missed in previous searches. "Technology has improved over time, they're reported to be using new a ground-penetrating radar which has improved in its efficiency over the years," he added. "There may be information that points them in a slightly different direction to what they knew before." Watch the full interview in the video below. 15:55:01 'Police have put this whole area in lockdown' More from our correspondent Dan Whitehead, who is on the outskirts of Praia da Luz where the search is taking place. "We've driven around to the cliff edges on both sides, and both of the sides have police cars there and they're not allowing the press any nearer," he explained. "There is a no-fly zone as well for drones, so obviously police have put this whole area in lockdown." Speaking about the teams behind the search, Whitehead said this is a joint operation between the Germans and Portuguese. "At one point this morning we saw five vehicles, all with German number plates. They had driven over from Germany," he added. "Inside we saw police officers, some in full camouflage gear. There are clearly specialist teams, with some reports they are using ground-penetrating radar equipment." 15:32:01 Everything you need to know about the Madeleine McCann searches German and Portuguese search teams are scouring land between the Ocean Club holiday resort, where the McCanns stayed 18 years ago, and the cottage where suspect Christian B lived in Praia da Luz. It's the latest in a long series of searches related to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. For everything you need to know about the case in one place, click on the link below... 15:00:01 'Dense scrubland': Sky correspondent describes area police are searching Our correspondent Dan Whitehead has been speaking live from the area where police are carrying out their search near Praia da Luz. He's described the conditions that officers are working through. "It is dense scrubland, there are outbuildings, old barns, there are building ruins and old wells," he explained. "It is inhabited but very small-scale. There is a vineyard in there and a couple of houses. "But generally speaking it is simply scrub and bushland." If you missed Whitehead's live stream from the scene of the search, you can watch it back below.
Metro
40 minutes ago
- Metro
Map shows two new locations where searches for Madeleine McCann will continue
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A new major search for missing toddler Madeleine McCann will start in two new areas today. The search for Madeleine, who would have celebrated her 22nd birthday last month, has involved a complex investigation involving Portuguese, British and German police forces. That search has ramped up this week with fresh searches beginning in the Lagos municipality, following a request from German police, close to where she was last seen. A Portuguese source said of the new searches: 'They will be land searches only. The main objective is to look for any signs of Madeleine's body.' The Metropolitan Police aren't involved in these latest searches, it is understood. It comes as Christian Brueckner, who was identified as an official suspect in Madeleine's disappearance back in 2022, has given his first ever interview. The German, who is currently in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, is due to be released in September if no further charges are brought. He revealed what he plans to do after his release in his first face-to-face interview with a German broadcaster – and he said he's most looking forward to eating steak and drinking a beer. Brueckner denies any involvement with Madeleine's disappearance, and police face a race against time to charge him. The searches, continuing for a second day today, will focus on an area between Praia da Luz, a civil parish belonging to Lagos, and one of the houses where Brueckner lived when Madeleine disappeared 18 years ago, it's been reported. Police are set to search 21 sites within the 26-mile stretch between Praia da Luz and the Foral where Brueckner lived in 2003. Madeleine was three when she vanished on May 3, 2007 while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: German city dubbed 'Gateway to the World' has £28 return flights – and 2,500 bridges MORE: Three patients dead and over 50 injured in fire overnight at German hospital MORE: Two people killed in Germany after plane crashes into house and bursts into flames
