Madeleine McCann: Latest search sees teams drain well and clear dense vegetation
German investigators along with Portuguese police officers and firefighters are working in a little-developed area of countryside a few miles from Praia da Luz where Madeleine was last seen in 2007.
Then aged three, she 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.
Search teams look through a derelict and abandoned property to the west of Praia De Luz, Portugal (James Manning/PA)
Journalists were being kept a distance away from the search sites on Tuesday and a no-fly zone was imposed that stopped the used of drones, although some activity could be seen as teams used strimmers, pick-axes, shovels and chainsaws to clear the undergrowth and debris surrounding an abandoned building.
Personnel wore safety gear such as gloves and hard hats as they worked in the dense vegetation, and firefighters and police were seen using a yellow hose to drain a well.
The Sun reported that investigators are also planning to use radar equipment that can scan beneath the ground.
TV footage showed two Portuguese police officers guarding the end to a narrow lane that leads through an area of fields and scrubland with a few houses and a vineyard.
It has been variously reported that investigators 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.
A Portuguese police van driving down a lane near where search activity is taking place (Joao Matos/AP)
The search is being carried out at the request of the German federal police 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.
He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought.
Ulrich Oppold, a journalist from German broadcaster RTL, visited Brueckner in prison in Germany, who said if he gets out of jail the thing he is most looking forward to is a steak with a beer.
Brueckner refused to answer any questions relating to Madeleine after discussions with his lawyers.
He told the journalist that if he does get out of jail he will have to lie low as he is so well known.
Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal in 2007 (Family handout/PA)
Brueckner described himself as 'bekannt wie ein bunter Hund' – which literally translated is 'as well-known as a colourful dog'.
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.
Around 30 German police officers, including forensic experts, are expected to take part in the search along with Portuguese officers, with the activity due to last until Friday.
The Metropolitan Police said it is aware of the operation but that British officers will not be present.
German investigators and Portuguese officers last carried out searches in the country in 2023 near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz.
Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algarve, Portugal, in May 2023 (Yui Mok/PA)
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 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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Spain launches another tax raid on British holidaymakers
Are you a holiday let owner affected by the Spanish government's new tax? Get in touch money@ Spain's socialist government is planning a tax raid on British holiday let-owners in the country. The ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party wants to charge 21pc VAT on stays of less than 30 days – more than double the rate paid by hotels. It comes as Madrid lawmakers take aim at foreign property investors as part of efforts to tackle high housing costs. Draft legislation put before the Spanish parliament would raise taxes on owners of short-term tourist rentals from the current rate of zero. The levy rate paid by hotels is just 10pc. Unveiling the new bill last month, housing minister Isabel Rodriguez said: 'Homes are for living in [...] the measures seek to guarantee the right to rental housing for families.' The proposed change is part of the same legal push to impose a 100pc purchase tax on the sale of Spanish property to non-European Union buyers and also includes higher taxes for second homes and vacant properties. Alex Radford, partner at Spain-based law firm English Solicitor & Abogado, said: 'The VAT has got more chance of being implemented than the 100pc tax on a property bought by a non-European.' He said that if approved, the bill would likely increase the cost of holidays and lead to fewer available holiday lets in Spain. 'We would envisage that the rental [market] is going to be slightly more expensive. If owners have to add 21pc VAT to the cost of a rental, then we would expect rentals to decrease and people will look at other countries.' 'It's still early days and we don't know what will get approved and what will not,' Mr Radford added. 'Britons are the number one enemy' Millions of Britons who visit and live in Spain face losing out because of the new laws, which will undergo scrutiny and potentially amendment before being voted on in the second half of this year. There were more than 260,000 British expats living in Spain at the last official count in 2020, while it received 1.6 million tourists from the UK – more than any other country – during the busy April period last year, according to the Spanish statistics agency. Robert Amsterdam, partner Amsterdam & Associates, a law firm that has campaigned against higher Spanish taxes, said: 'The Spanish government is diverting the attention of the Spanish people away from the government's behaviour and they're coming up with the British as enemy number one.' Most estimates place the number of British people who own property in Spain between 800,000 and one million. A figure for the number of British holiday let-owners in the country was not available. British non-residents bought 3,480 homes in Spain in the first half of 2024, making up 38pc of a total of 9,166 properties sold to non-resident non-EU buyers, according to the latest available figures from the General Council of Spanish Notaries and Spanish Property Insight. Growing anti-tourist sentiment in Spain has already seen cities like Malaga and Madrid capping new licences for holiday lets, while Barcelona will ban them completely by 2028. Spanish media reported in January that Barcelona's plans would cost €1.9bn (£1.6bn) and lose the city around 40,000 jobs, based on a report by consultancy PWC. The country's minority coalition government has defended a crackdown on foreign property investors and holiday let-owners as necessary to make more housing available for Spanish people. There is a deficit of 450,000 homes across Spain, according to a Bank of Spain report published this week. In popular tourist destinations like the Canary and Balearic Islands half the housing stock is either holiday lets for tourists or homes owned by foreigners, it said. Javier Peñate, a legal adviser to a holiday homeowners association in the Canary Islands, told Reuters: 'The sole objective is to put an end to these activities and leave [tourism] in the hands of hoteliers.' Short-term rentals in the province already pay 7pc VAT, as do hotels.
The Sun
12 minutes ago
- The Sun
Top European holiday destination to let British travellers skip lengthy passport queues this summer
HOLIDAYMAKERS heading to Portugal will face shorter airport queues THIS WEEK with Brits able to use e-gates. The sunshine destination will become the first country to allow UK passport holders to use the system since Sir Keir Starmer struck a deal with Brussels. 1 Travellers have had to queue to have their passports stamped when arriving for their break since the UK left the European Union - often leading to long queues. Around 2.5 million people head to Portugal each year with more with 300,000 heading to the Algarve. Around 50,000 Brits live in the country. It has now been confirmed that holidaymakers heading to Faro airport will be able to use the hi-tech system. Europe relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said: "The historic deal that we signed with the EU on May 19 is in our national interests - good for bills, borders and jobs. "It slashes red tape and bureaucracy, boosts British exporters and makes life easier for holidaymakers. "Indeed, I'm delighted to confirm this morning that Faro Airport in Portugal will start the rollout of e-gate access to UK arrivals this week." Only last month, EU relations minister Thomas-Symonds strongly hinted that Brits will face less time waiting at border control. He said: 'I would love to see you being able to go through the border more quickly in that way. 'That's certainly something we've been pushing with the EU and I think that will be something that will be very helpful to British people.' The Prime Minister revealed details of Brits using e-gates during the first summit between Britain and the European Union. But the use of e-gates had to be given the green light by individual countries. The PM came under fire by explicitly saying that ''Brits travelling to Europe will now be able to use e-gates'.
Telegraph
12 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Police dogs ‘should get pensions'
Police dogs should be given pensions in recognition of their service to the country, ministers have been told. The Thin Blue Paw Foundation (TBPF), a charity for retired police dogs, said ministers had an 'ethical and moral obligation' to the animals which often cost more to care for in retirement because of injuries and health problems derived from their years in police service. The charity said it has provided grants of £380,000 to owners since it was set up in August 2020, to cover vet bills and care for them after they retire. It is estimated it costs as much as £250 more a month to look after former police dogs than other dogs. Kieran Stanbridge, chairman of TBPF said: ' Police dogs give the best years of their lives to the job. 'They throw themselves into dangerous situations without a second thought, they show unwavering loyalty to their handler and their job, and they give so much to help fight crime and keep the public safe. 'During their careers they receive the very best care and support from the force they serve with but, as soon as they hang up their harness, they're on their own, and the responsibility for their often-expensive care falls to their ex-handler or new owner. 'We believe that the Home Office, who allocate funding to police forces nationally, have an ethical and moral obligation to these dogs and shouldn't turn their backs on them when it's time to pay them back for everything they've done.' Bills can reach £2,400 a year There are around 1,700 serving police dogs in the UK, according to the foundation, and roughly 100 retire each year. The charity has launched a petition to push the Government for a ring-fenced budget to provide support for the owners of retired police dogs. Conditions such as arthritis can mean bills of up to £2,400 per year for pain medication, the charity said, and because these are pre-existing medical complaints they would not be covered by pet insurance. Mr Stanbridge said: 'Police dogs lead physically demanding lives and, when they retire – whether due to injury or age – they often have health problems as a result of their career, which can require expensive medication, therapy and management throughout their retirement. 'Taking on any dog is a responsibility, but taking on an older retired police dog with health problems is a huge commitment, particularly during the current cost-of-living crisis. 'We need to ensure that there is support in place for these heroic police dogs so that people aren't put off the idea of rehoming them when they retire and so that owners are never faced with the heartbreaking decision of having them put to sleep because they can't afford their treatment.' 'These dogs deserve our ongoing support' Julie Roy, a Police Scotland dog handler, was faced with large vet bills caring for retired German shepherd Keach, who worked for West Midlands Police before moving north of the border. Keach has arthritis in her spin and knee, and the Thin Blue Paw Foundation pays for her pain medication. Ms Roy said: 'Vet bills are expensive and our dogs have worked hard in their working life, putting extra strain on the joints and the body. 'These dogs deserve to have ongoing support when they retire, so they can access the medication and treatment they need having served their communities for so long.' Claire Bird, a fellow dog handler from West Sussex, adopted Fiji, a Belgian Malinois who worked for Surrey Police. She has required two operations, one for an infection of the uterus and a gastric procedure, and needs regular medication for allergies. So far the foundation has paid £10,000 for her care. Ms Bird said: 'I've kept all of my working dogs when they retire and, as any dog owner knows, taking care of them is expensive. But I couldn't turn my back on them after everything they've given. 'I believe that there should be more support in place for these incredible heroes when they retire. 'They do so much for us while they're serving and yet when they retire, the Government and the police turn their backs on them.'
