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The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Madeleine McCann search latest: Animal bones among limited findings as police hunt ends in Praia da Luz
German and Portuguese investigators congratulated and embraced each other as searches connected to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann drew to a close. Search teams wound down the operation in Atalaia, near Lagos, Portugal, on Thursday, after three days of scouring scrubland and abandoned structures. Officers involved in the latest searches held a debrief before leaving the site, and there was a round of applause before a crate of German beer was removed from one of the tents in the designated base area. After the Augustiner beers were carried away, some officers struggled to grapple with the tents they were taking down because of the blustery conditions. Earlier in the day, personnel could be seen holding pitchforks as they combed stretches of land. Pick-axes and shovels were used to dig some of the undergrowth and a digger was again used to remove rubble from one of the abandoned structures at the site. They spent the first two days of the search focusing on one particular derelict building, using ground-penetrating radar on the cobbled ground after clearing the area of debris and vegetation using a digger and chainsaws
BreakingNews.ie
6 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Searches for Madeleine McCann to continue in Portugal
Searches for Madeleine McCann are to resume in Portugal, near where the little girl was last seen in 2007. On Tuesday, fresh searches for Madeleine began, as teams drained a well and cleared areas of dense vegetation near abandoned buildings in countryside a few miles from Praia da Luz. Advertisement 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. Search teams look through a derelict and abandoned property to the west of Praia da Luz (James Manning/PA) German investigators and Portuguese police officers and firefighters took part in the searches on Tuesday, as teams used strimmers, shovels and chainsaws to clear the undergrowth and debris around an abandoned building, and drained a well using a yellow hose. About a dozen officers focused on one abandoned building where digging was taking place, while another member of the search team cleared large rocks. Teams dug, shifted rocks and cleared scrub as the work continued on Tuesday (James Manning/PA) The Sun reported that investigators are also planning to use radar equipment that can scan beneath the ground. Advertisement It has been variously 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. A Portuguese police van driving down a lane near where a search 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. 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. Advertisement (PA Graphics) About 30 German police, including forensic experts, are expected to take part in the search, with Portuguese officers, which is expected to last until Friday. 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. Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal in 2007 (Family handout/PA) Brueckner, who spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017, had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir. Advertisement 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. (PA Graphics) 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.' Advertisement In April, ministers approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating Madeleine's disappearance.
Sky News
6 days ago
- General
- 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.
