GREAT BRITAIN • Madeleine McCANN, 4 (2007) ~ Great Britain / Portugal

Madeleine search shifts to Australia, NZ


The search for missing British girl Madeleine McCann has moved to Australia and NZ, according to reports.

LONDON - A mystery woman believed to be from Australia or New
Zealand has become the fresh focus of the worldwide search for missing
British toddler Madeleine McCann.Private investigators hired by
Madeleine's parents Gary and Kate McCann were alerted about the woman
by a new witness who detailed a conversation he had with her in
Barcelona just three days after their daughter vanished from a
Portuguese holiday resort in 2007.The investigators believe the woman could be of "potential significance" to their search for Madeleine.They
are due to release images of the woman, described in some media reports
as a Victoria Beckham look-alike, and make an appeal for anyone who
knows her to contact them at a news conference in London on Thursday."What
this Australian is reported to have said (to the witness) is of enough
significant interest to launch a hunt for her," a source close to the
investigation told The Sun newspaper."We don't know where she is. She could still be in Spain, back in Australia, or anywhere else. But we need to find her quickly."

The man who told investigators about the conversation he and a
friend had with the woman outside a Barcelona bar is British and only
recently came forward with the information.One of the men
believed the woman had an Australian accent, while the other told
investigators he believed she was either from Australia or New Zealand.Madeleine
was just four years old when she disappeared from her family's rented
holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, while her parents
dined with friends at a nearby restaurant.Despite a massive search, Portuguese police wrapped up their investigation in 2008 after failing to find any trace of Madeleine.Her parents hired their own investigators to continue the hunt in the belief that their daughter is still alive.Despite the new link to the woman, Australian Federal Police (AFP) have not been asked to help search for her."We haven't received a request for any assistance," an AFP spokeswoman said."So at this stage we are not investigating any of the allegations made."To
mark the two-year anniversary of their daughter's disappearance, Kate
and Gerry McCann made a fresh appeal in May on their website for help
with their search."Whilst the fact that Madeleine is still
missing remains our greatest anxiety, it is important to remember that
the person who took Madeleine remains free," they said."There is no law enforcement agency actively looking for Madeleine or the person who took her."As
such, Madeleine and possibly other children are dependent on good and
moral everyday people to help them. We kindly ask you to share this
responsibility with us."

A worldwide hunt was under way last night for a
Posh Spice lookalike who cops believe could be linked to Madeleine
McCann’s kidnapping.

Three days after Maddie was snatched, the pretty Aussie asked a Brit stag
night reveller in a Barcelona bar: “Have you got her? Have you got the
child?”

Investigators believe the woman could have mistaken the innocent tripper for Madeleine’s abductor.

They are working on the theory there was a plot to kidnap the child in
the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz and taken by yacht to the Spanish
port 880 miles away.

They also believe the photofit woman they are searching for could be linked to the yachting
community who use the area where she was spotted.

This woman was seen pacing nervously up and down on the quayside
outside the El Rey De La Gamba seafood restaurant in Barcelona’s trendy
Port Olimpic district at 2am.

A 41-year-old businessman on his brother’s stag break approached her
concerned by her “agitated state’’.

Detectives believe she mistook him for someone else and then started
the bizarre conversation.

The married man kept quiet about their encounter for more than two years, fearing a row
with his wife for chatting up another woman.

He was described as a “professional in a senior role” and even swore to
secrecy a pal who witnessed the scene.

But six weeks ago he broke his silence and contacted private eyes hired by
Madeleine’s doctor parents Kate and Gerry.

The detectives travelled to Barcelona but were unable to unearth an
innocent explanation for the mysterious conversation.

Last night they made a worldwide appeal to find the woman they believe
could hold the key to the mystery, which started when Madeleine
vanished on May 3, 2007, days before her fourth birthday.

The mystery woman was also seen having a “heated conversation” in
fluent Spanish with another person who bumped into her chair in the
Irish Sailing Club bar.

When the McCanns saw an e-fit of the suspect they were stunned by her similarity to
Posh. They even consulted the Beckhams before taking the decision to
release the image.

Last night 35-year-old Posh’s spokesman Jo Molloy said it was “inappropriate’’ for her to
comment on the investigation because it was “nothing to do with the
Beckhams’’.

But pals said the celebrity couple would “do anything they could’’ to help find the missing child.

A friend said: “As loving parents themselves, they can only imagine the
pain that Madeleine’s mum and dad must be going through with every
passing day.

“They didn’t want to stand in the way of what could be an earth-shattering development in the case
and could help bring Madeleine home.’’

Last night the Daily Star circulated posters showing the e-fit across
Barcelona in the hope someone will recognise the woman.

The image was also flashed across news bulletins in Australia.

Retired police chief David Edgar, who heads the McCanns’ investigative
team, urged: “Please, please contact us if you know this woman.

“She is a very significant individual. We need to speak to her
urgently. It is a very strong lead.

“It was a significant conversation. I wouldn’t be doing this if not. The
witness had been drinking but wasn’t drunk.

“There were other people in his group who had had more to drink than he had.

“However he had spent a lot of time with her and was able to give us a
good description.

“The witness did not come forward earlier for personal reasons and I’m satisfied with those
personal reasons.

“It’s a long time but this witness is very credible.

“I think he recognises he should have come forward before.”

Mr Edgar said he and colleague Arthur Cowley made urgent inquiries in
Barcelona after the witness came forward but “it didn’t lead to
anything’’.

Kate and Gerry were now “praying that this is the piece in the jigsaw” which helps lead them to
their daughter, family spokesman Clarence Mitchell told a London press
conference.

He said the couple, both doctors aged 41 from Rothley, Leics, were “fully aware’’ of the latest
lead.

But he added: “They have learned
from bitter experience not to get their hopes up or down with a
potentially very significant lead.’’

He said the couple, who have four-year-old twins Sean and Amelia, have
vowed “to continue to search for Madeleine with every breath they take”.

A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police said they would join the
hunt for the woman if asked.

Anyone with information about the mystery woman should contact the investigators on
0845 838 4699 or via investigation@findmadeleine.com.

A woman at the centre of the worldwide search for Madeleine McCann
is claimed to have been waiting for a child to be delivered just days
after the British three-year-old vanished.Private detectives are
hunting the mystery woman, believed to be from Australia or New
Zealand, after a British businessman told them about a conversation he
had with her in Spain just 72 hours after Madeleine vanished from a
Portuguese resort on May 3, 2007.Although investigators refused
to reveal details of what was said, British newspapers on Friday said
the woman had confused him with a man she was waiting for to deliver
her "new daughter".Unnamed sources claimed the businessman, who
was in Barcelona partying with friends, spoke to the woman about 2am on
May 7 as she paced anxiously outside a waterfront bar in Barcelona.It
is claimed that when he approached her, she asked him: "Are you here to
deliver my new daughter? Have you got her? Have you got the child?"When she realised he was not a courier and did not know what she was talking about, she walked off."The man came to believe the woman had been expecting someone who was going to hand something over," one source told The Sun newspaper."From what she said he took it to be a female child. She was very insistent he had her 'new daughter' -- and where was she?"He had no idea what she meant at the time but when he found out about Maddie's abduction he found it very suspicious."The woman seemed to be at the bar at an appointed hour, waiting for someone to show and hand over something."When she realised he wasn't who she was expecting, she quickly brought the conversation to a close."The
man told investigators he strongly believed the woman had an Australian
accent, but a friend who also heard their conversation thought it was
possible she was a New Zealander.Madeleine disappeared from her
family's rented holiday apartment at Praia da Luz in the Algarve nine
days short of her fourth birthday.The private investigators,
hired by Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann, believe the toddler
could have been taken by boat from Portugal to Barcelona.They
have released a sketch of the woman in question, based on the British
witness' description, in the hope of tracking her down to question her
about the girl's disappearance.She is described as being aged
between 30 and 35, of slim build and "glamorous" appearance, similar to
former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.The woman had short brown hair and was about 157cm tall. She wore expensive-looking blue jeans and possibly a pastel jumper.

She is described as being aged between 30 and 35, of slim build and "glamorous" appearance, similar to
former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.The woman had short brown hair and was about 157cm tall. She wore expensive-looking blue jeans and possibly a pastel jumper.

Police say a Sydney woman has come forward with
information that could help in the search for the missing British
toddler, Madeleine McCann.
The three-year-old disappeared two years ago during a family holiday in Portugal.
The family's private investigators are looking for a woman they
believe may be Australian, who they say could have significant
information about the disappearance.
New South Wales Police say a Sydney woman came forward yesterday claiming to know the person the family is looking for.
"Detectives have received information about a woman, who is similar
in description of the woman being sought by private investigators
examining the disappearance of British child, Madeleine McCann," police
said in a statement.
"Yesterday afternoon, a Sydney woman provided a formal statement to detectives at a Sydney police station.
"The NSW Police Force will forward the information received to the Australian Federal Police for follow-up."
The McCanns' investigators revealed on Thursday a witness had come
forward saying he spoke to a woman with an Australian or New Zealand
accent outside a bar in Barcelona, three days after Madeleine McCann's
disappearance.
The British holiday-maker reportedly said she asked him, "Are you here to deliver my new daughter?"
The woman is described as 158 centimetres tall, glamorous and well-dressed, with short dark hair.

A 53-YEAR-OLD mother was
yesterday forced to deny that she or her fair-haired five-year-old
daughter had anything to do with missing British toddler Madeleine
McCann after a friend in Sydney reported her to police.
Shocked Judith Aron said: "I have no connection to the little girl."
The
search for Madeleine has swept across at least four Australian states
with a string of sightings after private detectives revealed they were
looking for a Victoria Beckham lookalike with an Australian accent.
An
identikit picture of the woman was released by British police last week
after a witness came forward to say the woman had approached him in
Barcelona three days after Madeleine went missing in Portugal in 2007
and said: "Are you here to deliver my daughter?"
Ms
Aron, who by a bizarre twist lives in Madeline Street, Glen Iris, a
Melbourne suburb, said: "I'm 53 years old and I certainly don't look
like a Spice Girl.
"I'm shocked that anybody may
have thought that I have some connection to this case. I can't
understand how it may have happened. I can honestly say I have no
connection to the little girl.
"I haven't left Australia since 2000, so there's no way I could have been in Portugal or Spain around the time she went missing.
"My mum passed away in 2000 and I was looking after my elderly father after that so I wasn't able to go overseas."
However, Ms Aron said she felt terrible for Gerry and Kate, Madeleine's parents.
"I only wish there was some way that I could help them. I have a
five-year-old daughter myself so when I think of what they must be
going through it is just awful."
A neighbour said she thought the link might have been made because Ms Aron spoke Spanish and had a fair-haired child.
On
Friday afternoon, an elderly Sydney woman went into Burwood police
station and filed a report claiming that a friend she had met in Spain,
and travelled with in Portugal, was the woman in the identikit picture.
"She
showed us a picture of the woman on a plane from Portugal and we got
goosebumps," said a detective, who could not be named. "It looked
exactly like the identikit picture."
A NSW Police
spokeswoman said: "NSW Police force detectives have received
information about a woman who is similar in description to the woman
being sought by private investigators investigating the disappearance
of British child Madeleine McCann.
"A Sydney woman provided a formal statement to detectives at a Sydney police station.
"She
claims to know the identity of the woman being sought by the private
investigators attached to the McCann family. The NSW Police force has
forwarded the information to the Australian Federal Police for
follow-up."
A federal police spokesman confirmed it
had received informal notice but added: "We are certainly not
investigating at the moment."
The woman who filed
the statement is understood to be Nelida Martinez from Burwood.
Yesterday she said: "I don't want to talk to nobody unless it's the
police."
Meanwhile, attention has also focused on
an Australian-registered cruiser that was in Port Olimpic marina in
Barcelona at the time the mystery woman was asking the new witness if
he had brought her new daughter.
Reporters from London yesterday speculated that it was a $12 million powerboat belonging to a wealthy West Australian family.
A spokesman for the family said: "This is the most ridiculous speculation I have ever heard. It's ludicrous."
Despite
claims by London newspapers that investigators are looking for the
yacht, which flies the Australian flag, a family friend scoffed at
speculation that it could be connected in any way to the Madeleine
McCann case.
The friend said: "I know the owners of
that yacht and they would laugh at newspaper reports that their
powerboat was somehow used in the abduction of Maddie. That's a good
one."
Investigators working for the McCanns said
they had received more than 600 emails after issuing the Posh Spice
lookalike appeal. A spokesman for the family said most of those
responses had come from Australia.

Madeleine McCann detectives aim to interview a millionairess after a
yacht at the centre of the inquiry into the child’s disappearance was
traced.
Melissa Karlson’s mother owns the £6million vessel
that docked in Barcelona hours before a mystery woman asked a British
tourist: “Are you here to deliver my new daughter?”
But the
family of the 31-year-old Australian, daughter of £250million socialite
Rhonda Wyllie, 52, yesterday told the Sunday Mirror any suggestion the
vessel was involved with the abduction or the mystery woman was
“ludicrous”.
The team hunting three-year-old Madeleine had believed that the mystery powerboat could provide a breakthrough.
Flying an Australian flag, it was seen in Barcelona three days after she vanished in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
Records
show the 105ft boat arrived just hours before a woman – said to look
like Posh Spice Victoria Beckham – approached a British bank executive
and asked: “Are you here to deliver my daughter?”
The woman
was described as slim and “glamorous”, aged 30 to 35, about 5ft 2ins
tall, with short spiky brown hair and speaking with an Australian
accent. The luxury Sunseeker vessel, called Will Power, was reportedly
the only vessel out of nine unaccounted for by Maddie investigators.
It was moored in Barcelona from 12.40pm on May 6, 2007, and left on the 9th for an unknown destination.
Investigators are keen to speak to Mrs Karlson, who runs her mother’s investment group, and Mrs Wyllie to rule them out.
A
source close to the investigation told the Sunday Mirror: “We have been
told about the daughter of the owner of this boat and are aware of who
she is. We understand she’s currently in Perth, Australia, and will be
keen to speak to her to eliminate her from our inquiries.”
The
family last night said they were “distraught” to have been linked to
the Madeleine case but would happily cooperate with police.Mrs Karlson, married to fashion wholesaler Jamie, is the managing
director of Wyllie Group, her mother’s company. Wyllie Group company
director Craig Coleman, speaking on behalf of Mrs Karlson, said from
his home in Perth: “This is the most ridiculous speculation I have ever
heard. It’s ludicrous.”
It came as investigators working for
Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann, both 41, from Rothley,
Leics, had received dozens of names linked to the e-fit released last
week. More than 600 phone calls have been made by people who saw the
image.
The couple’s spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the team would be working their way through the names given to identify them.
A
woman in Australia yesterday claimed to know the Posh Spice lookalike
as Madeleine mania swept the country but the report turned out to be false.
It emerged that an investigator had already reportedly mounted an Australian surveillance operation.
Undercover
detectives have been watching a number of individuals in Australia for
several months after a tip-off that Madeleine was smuggled there.
But
Australian Federal Police have said they are not involved in looking
for Madeleine and have not been approached by the McCanns.
Ms
Karlson started as a trainee accountant in her father Bill’s property
development company before becoming MD in 2005, six months before his
death.
She reportedly celebrated her 30th birthday with a big
bash at the luxurious Legian Hotel in Bali in March last year. It is
understood celebrity guests were flown in for the night.
Widow Mrs Wyllie, a non-executive director of Wyllie Group, is on Will Power, cruising in the Mediterranean, a spokesman said.

UPDATE 10.15am: POLICE want to quiz several woman matching a sketch of a woman sought over the disappearance of Maddie McCann.
Detectives are now also scouring through hundreds of potential tip-offs.

Among
them, a woman has told Sydney detectives she knows the mystery brunette
and has provided a name and a photo that police say bears an "uncanny
resemblance" to the image.
And the wanted look-alike could live in Victoria.

• Gallery: Missing Madeleine McCann - a picture special
  

Police said the woman, who made a formal statement at a Sydney
police station on Friday afternoon, told them the brunette lived
"interstate" from NSW.
In a bizarre twist Melbourne woman Judith Aron who lives in Madeline
St, Glen Iris, was forced to deny she or her fair-haired five-year-old
god-daughter had anything to do with the missing girl after she was
reported to Sydney police.

She said she was shocked anybody thought she was connected to the case.

"It's frightening, I don't know who this woman is. I don't know anything about this.

"I've been caring for my elderly father and I haven't been overseas since 1997.

"Abducting kids is sickening," she said.

Detectives
maintaing they still have "a number of viable leads” for an Australian
woman believed to hold vital clues to the disappearance of Madeleine
McCann, a family spokesman says.

Clarence Mitchell says there
are several tips worth pursuing out of the hundreds of leads sent in
from the public about the woman wanted in connection with the British
child's disappearance in Portugal in 2007.

“An awful lot of
these tip-offs and bits of information are well-meaning, but ultimately
come to nothing,” he told the Nine Network this morning.

“But
out of all this we have had dozens of names for the woman we're looking
for given to us ... and out of that, the detectives have a number of
viable leads.

”That's their description: a number of viable leads that they are pursuing as a priority.”

The
potential local link emerged after two British men said a woman with an
Australian accent implicated herself to them in a bar in Barcelona.
Madeleine disappeared from a Portuguese resort on May 3, 2007.
The two Britons were in a Spanish bar when they saw the Australian woman -- 72 hours after the girl vanished.
The "agitated" woman appeared to be waiting impatiently for somebody when one of the Englishmen, aged 41, tried to chat her up.
It is claimed she asked him in an Australian accent, "Are you here
to deliver my new daughter? Have you got her? Have you got the child?"
The men allegedly did not come forward earlier because of "personal circumstances" -- at least one of them was married.
Other witnesses who have since come forward noted she spoke
excellent Spanish or Catalan and was wearing dressy blue jeans and a
jersey top.
The British men's accounts formed the basis of the police portrait,
which has been publicised by the private investigator leading the
search for Madeleine, Dave Edgar. NSW police have forwarded the new
information to the Australian Federal Police and the private
investigators.
Hundreds of Australians have reportedly seen the mystery brunette.
But a Victoria Police spokeswoman said no one had come forward to local police with names or any further details.
Mr Edgar said his team would fly to Australia to analyse the new information.
Clarence Mitchell, the official spokesman for the McCann family, said the response to the appeal had been substantial.
"We have had . . . many hundreds of calls coming in, particularly from Australia," he said yesterday.
Madeleine was almost four when she disappeared from her family's
holiday apartment in the Portuguese coastal village of Praia da Luz,
while her parents dined with friends in a nearby restaurant.

Aussie millionaires linked to Maddie McCann

8:54AM Monday Aug 10, 2009



Detectives
searching for Madeleine McCann hope to interview millionaire
Australians amid claims their yacht may be involved in the British
girl's disappearance.

LONDON - Private detectives searching for Madeleine McCann hope to
interview the widow and daughter of Australian property tycoon Bill
Wyllie amid claims their yacht may be involved in the British girl's
disappearance.A multimillion-dollar luxury yacht owned by Perth
socialite Rhonda Wyllie was moored in Barcelona, Spain, three days
after Madeleine disappeared from a holiday resort in Portugal in May
2007.About the same time, a woman aged in her 30s with an
Australian or New Zealand accent reportedly asked a British businessman
at the marina if he was there to "deliver my new daughter".Private
detectives working for Madeleine's parents want to speak with Mrs
Wyllie and her daughter, 31-year-old Melissa Karlson, to find out why
the vessel was in Barcelona and if either woman was travelling aboard.Ms
Wyllie is reportedly "devastated" by reports in British papers about
the possible connection between her 32m yacht, Willpower, and the
inquiry."I have spoken to my sister and she is absolutely devastated," her brother Wayne McGrath is quoted as telling The People paper in Britain on Sunday./*XXXIXXX*/

"She doesn't know anything about this."She does go to Spain - she's been there for the last two or three years."She goes to entertain friends. She is happy to co-operate with and help any investigation."The yacht, which is for sale in the south of France, can sleep six guests and carry four crew.A
source close to the hunt for Madeleine told the Sunday Mirror
investigators were keen to speak with Ms Karlson, the managing director
of Perth-based investment firm the Wyllie Group, and Mrs Wyllie about
the yacht's trip to Spain."We have been told about the daughter of the owner of this boat and are aware of who she is," the source said."We understand she's currently in Perth, Australia, and will be keen to speak to her to eliminate her from our inquiries."Marina
records have revealed the yacht was moored at the Port Olimpic
(Olimpic) marina in Barcelona when a woman - described as a Victoria
Beckham lookalike - approached a British businessman and asked about
the child.Madeleine vanished from her family's rented holiday
apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, while her parents dined with
friends at a nearby restaurant.Investigators working for Kate
and Gerry McCann last week released a sketch of the woman who
reportedly spoke to the British tourist at the marina in Barcelona 72
hours after Madeleine disappeared.They also said they believed it was possible Madeleine could have been taken by boat from Portugal to Spain.Police in Australia and Britain have received hundreds of calls about the picture of the woman.McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said investigators have a "number of viable leads" on the woman."An
awful lot of these tip-offs and bits of information are well meaning,
but ultimately come to nothing," he told the Nine Network on Sunday
morning."But out of all this we have had dozens of names for the
woman we're looking for given to us ... and out of that, the detectives
have a number of viable leads."That's their description: a number of viable leads that they are pursuing as a priority."A
Victorian woman suggested as a possible match to the image released by
the McCann investigators has denied she has anything to do with
Madeleine's disappearance.Judith Aron, of Glen Iris, Victoria, told Fairfax newspapers: "I'm 53 years old and I certainly don't look like a Spice Girl."I'm totally shocked anybody may have thought I have some connection to the case."I have been looking after my sick father and I haven't left the country since 2000."- AAP

The parents of Madeleine McCann were last night said to be
devastated by a hate campaign suggesting they were responsible for
their daughter’s disappearance.A leaflet entitled ‘Ten
reasons to suggest that Madeleine McCann was not abducted’ was
distributed to 10,000 residents of the village where they live and the
surrounding area.A source told MailOnline the couple intend to pursue legal action and may even bring in the police.
It
was even sent to residents of the street in Rothley, Leicestershire,
where Kate and Gerry McCann, both doctors, live with their
four-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.
The leaflet was not delivered to the McCanns’ home.
The
Madeleine Foundation, which distributed the leaflet, was set up by
former lawyer Tony Bennett, 60, who has previously tried and failed to
bring a private prosecution against the couple for child neglect.
He
and his supporters have produced a 64-page anti-McCann book entitled
‘What really happened to Madeleine McCann? Sixty reasons to suggest
that she was not abducted’.
Like the leaflet, it is
emblazoned with a picture of the missing girl, who was aged three when
she disappeared from her parents’ holiday apartment in the Portuguese
resort of Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007.
The leaflet says her
parents’ version of events on the night she disappeared is a ‘sheer
impossibility’. It suggests it is more likely that Madeleine died in
the apartment and that they covered up her death.





Devastated: Kate and Gerry McCann are aid to be considering legal action over the Madeleine Foundation leaflet campaign

Residents of Rothley last night expressed outrage at the leaflet, an
extract of the book, which calls for the case to be reopened.
One resident, Patricia Ball, said: ‘It sent a shiver down my spine. I did not like it at all, it had a nasty feel about it.

‘There is still a candle on the green, so every time you go into the
centre of Rothley, you pass the candle and it always reminds you of
Madeleine.’A copy of the original book was sent to the McCanns’ home several months ago, causing them great upset.A family friend said the couple were were ‘devastated’ by the campaign and may sue for libel.


Their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, said: ‘We do not wish to dignify
the actions of the so-called Madeleine Foundation with any response. We
do feel it is important, however, to make the general public aware that
the foundation has no connection whatsoever with our family or those
helping us find Madeleine or any law enforcement agencies.
‘We
strongly believe the actions of this organisation do not have
Madeleine’s best interests at heart. If anything, it is hampering our
efforts to find Madeleine and achieve justice on her behalf.’
Last
year, the McCanns expressed anger at the foundation, which they
described as a fee-paying club dedicated to blaming them for
Madeleine’s disappearance – members pay £10 to join.
Mr
Bennett’s attempt to bring a private prosecution against the couple two
years ago was thrown out by Leicester magistrates on the grounds that
they had no jurisdiction over the case because she disappeared abroad.
Mr Bennett said at the time: ‘We are a group of people who want to get to the truth of what happened to Madeleine.’

September 5, 9:34 PMCrime ExaminerCindy Adams





Jon Hazelhurst with stepdaughter, Lauren.

Last week, police officers arrived at the Kingsbridge, Devon home of firefighter Jon Hazlehurst, requesting he accompany them to the station for questioning.
The before law enforcement came knocking, a concerned citizen contacted authorities with the license plate number of Hazlehurst’s vehicle, believing the firefighter may have had missing Madeleine McCann with him at a local gas station.
Hazlehurst thought it was a joke when the police showed up on his doorstep. He said,

I was surprised more than anything. My first thought was that it was someone pulling a prank on me before I realized that they were quite serious. I’ve never been called into a police station as a possible kidnapper. The police were very polite and I understood that they had to follow up the lead, even if it didn’t come to anything. There’s always a chance a tip-off like that might lead them to Madeleine.”

Madeleine McCann (Family photo)

In fact, Hazelhurst had stopped at the gas station with his stepdaughter, Lauren, 8, after returning from walking the family dog at Slapton beach.
Sgt. Paul O’Neill of the Kingsbridge Police told the Telegraph that Lauren did bear a resemblance to Madeleine, however, the two girls do not share the same eye color.
Madeleine, who would now be six-years-old, disappeared in May 2007, during a family vacation in Portugal.

Sources report that private detectives, ex-police officers Arthur Cowley and Dave Edgar, continue to look into little Madeleine McCann’s disappearance and have returned to Portugal to question persons of interest.
According to the Daily Express, new leads may provide a breakthrough in the case. “The investigation has real momentum with definite goals. A vast amount of work has already been done and every new lead is being checked,” a source said.
Madeleine’s little brother and sister, twins Sean and Amelie, have begun school at Bishop Ellis RC School where Madeleine was a student prior to her disappearance. On their Website, a message reads, “We are sorry we are not yet able to welcome Madeleine to our school as we had hope to.”
Madeleine, who would now be six-years-old, disappeared in May 2007, during a family vacation in Portugal

A judge has banned the sale of a book by a former investigating
police officer in the Madeleine McCann case, a spokesman for the
missing girl's parents said.

Clarence Mitchell said Kate and Gerry McCann were "absolutely delighted."

A judge at Lisbon's main Civil Court banned any further publication and sale of "The Truth of The Lie" by Goncalo Amaral.

The book claims that the little girl is dead.

Mitchell said the book had hampered the search for missing Madeleineand added to her parents' distress.

Amaral worked on the investigation into three-year-old Madeleine's
disappearance from an apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007 during a
family holiday.

He was removed from the investigation after criticizing British police.

The injunction, granted today after a hearing last week, means he
has to ensure that all unsold copies of the book are removed from shops
and warehouses across Europe.

If he fails to do so he faces a fine of $1,400 a day.

"Kate and Gerry McCann are absolutely delighted that the judge in
Portugal has done the right thing by granting this injunction,"
Mitchell said.

He said Amaral's claims that he believed Madeleine was dead were "threatening the search."

Kate and Gerry McCann say they have received 1,000 reports following
their appeal over a Victoria Beckham lookalike who may be connected to
the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine.Investigators for
the family want to trace the woman, said to resemble Victoria Beckham,
who asked a witness at a Spanish marina if he was there to deliver her
'new daughter'.The well-dressed woman was described as possibly having an Australian accent and appeared agitated.


The McCann family's private detectives are following up on 1,000
calls and emails received since last month, including many which
investigators describe as 'viable leads'.'At the start of August
this year, our investigators appealed to the general public for more
information following a credible account by a witness,' said the
McCanns on their website. 'This related to a lady acting suspiciously in Barcelona on May 7, 2007 in the early hours of the morning.
'Our
investigators received approximately 1,000 emails and phone calls
following this appeal and have been busy working through this
information', they added.
'Thank you to everybody who
passed information on to our team. We would like to encourage anyone
who may still have potentially relevant information to come forward.
'It
is important to note that although the witness thought that the woman
in question may have had an Australian accent, it is possible that this
may not be the case.' A spokesman for the New South Wales Police Force had said: 'A
Sydney woman provided a formal statement to detectives at a Sydney
police station.'She claims to know the identity of the woman being sought by the private investigators attached to the McCann family.'New South Wales Police Force will forward the information received to the Australian Federal Police for follow up.'
Madeleine
was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday
apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007 while her
parents dined with friends nearby.Just over 72 hours later, two
British men saw the woman in question while on a night out in the
popular Port Olimpic Marina in Barcelona.After speaking to one
of the witnesses the woman went into a bar next door, where she had a
heated conversation with a local in what seemed to be fluent Spanish.Meanwhile
the McCanns say they are relieved that a Portuguese judge banned
further sales or publication of a book by a former policeman that
claims Madeleine is dead.The book, The Truth of the Lie by Goncalo Amaral is subject to an injunction.Mr Amaral worked on the investigation into the disappearance but was removed from the case after criticising British police.'Nothing
can be more soul-destroying for a parent than for somebody to "write
off" your missing child for whatever reason without any evidence to
support such a theory,' said the McCanns.
'The anguish and
torment that we have suffered as a result of Mr Amaral's unfounded
claims and actions has been immense, compounding the pain and sadness
we feel every day without Madeleine in our lives.
'Madeleine deserves so much more than treatment like this. She is still missing and we will never give upon her,' they added.'It
is important to remember that the good people far outweigh the bad,
even though those with cruel intentions can bring you down.
'Every
day we still receive a small bundle of supportive letters to our home
and kind messages via the website, as well as positive words from
passers-by.'After a "not so good" day, it is this kindness and solidarity that lifts us up and keeps us going.
'To
those people, we are so grateful and we will never forget the great
benefit of simple human kindness.Thank you from all our family.'

KATE McCann faces a traumatic trip back to Portugal today — her first
visit since she fled the country nearly two years ago after being made a
suspect in her daughter's disappearance.









The 41-year-old mum has never been back to the country after she and husband
Gerry left in September 2007 five months after Maddie, then three, went
missing from a holiday resort in Praia da Luz.


But this morning she flew out with Gerry for a one-day visit to see lawyers
working for the couple in Lisbon. The McCanns also intend to give a press
conference to local media in the hope of "reinvigorating" the search for
Maddie in Portugal.
Suspects



Yesterday a friend of the couple's said Kate had not wanted to go back to
Portugal but "feels she has to".


They added: "It is going to be very traumatic for Kate. She will be in
Portugual feeling that Maddie could be out there somewhere.




"She was dreading the trip but their lawyers wanted her to be there so she's
steeled herself to go. But she will not be going anywhere near Praia da Luz.
Kate just wouldn't be able to handle going there, the memories are still
very raw."


Kate and Gerry flew out from an airport near their home in Rothley,
Leicestershire. They were last together in Portugal in September 2007.


They left that month after being made "arguidos" —
official suspects — in Maddie's disappearance although they were
later cleared of any suspicion.


Their lawyers are working on a case against disgraced former police chief
Goncalo Amaral who was sacked from the inquiry after criticising British
police, claiming Maddie was dead and that her parents were lying about her
being abducted.


He wrote a book about the case called 'The Truth of the Lie' but two weeks ago
the McCanns won a High Court case in Lisbon to have the book banned.


They are now looking at suing Amaral for around £1million damages. Any money
won would go into the Find Madeleine Fund to continue the search for her.


The couple will also be meeting with representatives from a Portuguese based
PR firm who they hope to be working with.


Press in Portugal about the McCanns is still quite negative, much of it
fuelled by Amaral's claims, and, according to a friend, the couple are going
to use today's visit to try to turn that around.


They said: "Amaral did a lot of harm and the media in Portugal have often
repeated his baseless claims.




"Kate and Gerry feel this is hindering the search for Madeleine and are
hoping to get to the media to look at them in a more positive light.'


The couple's spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "I can confirm that Kate and
Gerry McCann have this morning returned to Portugal.


"They will be attending a series of meetings with their lawyers and advisers
in Lisbon and they are planning to return to the UK tonight.


"Obviously, this is Kate's first return to Portugal since Madeleine's
abduction and whilst this is undoubtedly difficult for her she remains
determined to do whatever is necessary to assist in the search for her
daughter."


Recently the McCanns posted a message on the Find Madeleine Website about
Amaral calling his claims "soul destroying."


Talking about Amaral's allegations that Maddie was dead and that they were
involved they said: "Nothing can be more soul-destroying for a parent than
for somebody to 'write off' your missing child (for whatever reason) without
any evidence to support such a theory.


"The anguish and torment that we have suffered as a result of Mr Amaral's
unfounded claims and actions has been immense, compounding the pain and
sadness we feel every day without Madeleine in our lives. Madeleine deserves
so much more than treatment like this. She is still missing and we will
never give upon her.


"It is important to remember that the good people far outweigh the bad, even
though those with cruel intentions can bring you down.


"Every day we still receive a small bundle of supportive letters to our home
and kind messages via the website, as well as positive words from
passers-by.


"After a 'not so good' day, it is this kindness and solidarity that lifts us
up and keeps us going. To those people, we are so grateful and we will never
forget the great benefit of simple human kindness. Thank you from all our
family."

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has thrown its support behind a new initiative to find missing UK girl Madeleine McCann.
British police have posted a new online video message, supported by the AFP,
aimed at anyone who knows the person who was involved in the
disappearance of Madeleine.
Madeleine disappeared on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in Portugal. She is now six years old.
AGE ENHANCED to 6 years old


The UK and Australian police, as well as other global law enforcement
agencies, are asking the public to help spread the message by watching
the video and sending it to their friends or placing links to the video
on any websites they may operate.
The video can be viewed on the website of the UK’s national police centre for protecting
children - the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre
(www.ceop.police.uk).
Head of CEOP Jim Gamble said the person that police are looking to reach is likely to be a partner,
family member, friend or colleague of the person or people involved in
Madeleine’s disappearance.‘‘
It is also highly probable that they, or someone close to them, is using the internet to
search for any updates that may suggest the police are getting closer
to discovering the truth,’’ Mr Gamble said.‘‘
Today, we want to deliver a message to that person and we’re asking everyone who goes online to help us.’’
Mr Gamble said the police wanted the message to become so widespread that
it becomes just one click from any Madeleine search as a constant
reminder to that person that it is never too late to do the right thing.
‘‘Do everything you can to spread it around the online world,’’ he said.
AFP national manager for economic and special operations, Mandy Newton, said the AFP supported the online initiative.
‘‘A lot of Australian families have to deal with their own anguish and
uncertainty of missing relatives and friends,’’ Assistant Commissioner
Newton said.
‘‘Each year 35,000 people are reported missing in Australia - that is one person every 15 minutes.’’
The message can be viewed at www.ceop.police.uk in seven different
languages - English, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and
Spanish.

A private detective, who allegedly disappeared after being paid to
search for missing British girl Madeleine McCann, has been arrested in
England, reports say.The British national, wanted by the FBI
over an alleged fraud unrelated to the search for Madeleine, was
arrested in Oxford in south England late on Tuesday over an unpaid
hotel bill, according to The Sun newspaper. 'We arrested a
48-year-old man yesterday morning at the Old Bank Hotel in Oxford. It
was a discrepancy over his hotel bill,' Thames Valley Police said,
without confirming his identity. The man's US company was paid
STG300,000 ($A541,000) in 2008 to carry out detective work on possible
sightings of Madeleine, but he disappeared and the contract was dropped
because of lack of progress, reports said. Thousands of Britons have donated money to a fund to help find the missing girl in a worldwide campaign. The
US-based businessman, whose company headquarters is in Washington, is
wanted for allegedly defrauding a law firm of STG1.2 million ($A2.1
million), reports said. Madeleine was nearly four when she went
missing from her family's holiday apartment in Portugal on May 3, 2007
while her parents dined with friends nearby. Despite a massive investigation by Portuguese and British police and huge publicity worldwide, she has not been found. Portuguese
police are no longer investigating the case but investigators acting on
her parents' behalf are still looking for Madeleine and appealing to
the public for information. A spokesman for the McCann family said their association with the security consultant ended 'well over a year ago.' 'Given that an arrest has been made it would be inappropriate for us to comment,' he said.

DETECTIVES in Britain have passed details of several possible sightings of
Madeleine McCann to their Portuguese counterparts following a worldwide
internet appeal.
Police in Leicestershire – the county where
her family live – were fed information about the sightings after the
unique appeal by the London-based Child Exploitation and Online
Protection Centre last month.
Pictures of how Madeleine, now aged six, would look were featured in the
60-second film called A Minute For Madeleine, which has has been seen
by more than 10 million online.

Its aim was to prick the conscience of someone close to Madeleine’s
kidnapper. The Leicestershire officers sifted through the information
before deciding what should be relayed to Portugal. Detectives there
said they would work only on credible new information because they did
not want to waste any time on fruitless endeavours.
But the Sunday Express can reveal that evidence they gathered has not been
put into the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System (HOLMES) by
Leicestershire police.
Last night former Scotland Yard commander Dai Davies said: “I find that
unbelievable that key information from Portugal has not been processed.
“To get the full benefit you should input all available information on the
crime. It is common sense to provide as many pieces of the jigsaw as
possible.”

Court agony for McCanns: Couple listen in disbelief as Portuguese police say Maddie is dead and abduction was faked

Last updated at 9:19 AM on 13th January 2010


Portuguese police convinced themselves Madeleine McCann's parents faked her abduction, despite having no evidence against them, a court was told yesterday.
Officers leading the investigation into the three-year-old's disappearance believed she died in a 'tragic accident' and that her parents hid her body, a senior detective admitted yesterday.
The dramatic confession was made during a tense legal battle in a Portuguese courtroom
played out in front of Kate and Gerry McCann.

After almost three years of leaks, slurs and innuendo, Inspector Tavares Almeida laid bare unsubstantiated police suspicions against the couple.
It was the first time any Portuguese police officer has spoken publicly about the decision to name the McCanns as arguidos, or official suspects.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242716/Madeleine-McCann-dead-abduction-faked-say-Portuguese-police.html#ixzz0cVQfqnPN

KATE and Gerry McCann, parents of abducted British toddler Madeleine McCann, are to report ex-police chief Goncarlo Amaral to cops for breaching secrecy laws.
The Sun reported today he allegedly passed on information on the disappearance of their daughter Maddie before the case was closed, which is a criminal offense in Portugal.
Mr Amaral, 50, who formerly led the police hunt for Maddie, is currently trying to overturn a legal ban on a book he wrote about the case.
The McCanns's lawyer told a court hearing in Lisbon that Mr Amaral gave his publishers a draft copy containing confidential details several months before a judge lifted the secrecy rules in 2008.
Lawyer Isabel Duarte also revealed she reported Mr Amaral to police for allegedly lying in his application for legal aid.Maddie vanished aged three in Praia da Luz, Portugal where the couple, both doctors aged 41, were staying in May 2007.


The hearing was adjourned until Februaryse cop for breach of secrecy

Madeleine McCann detective 'will keep fighting to release book'



Goncalo Amaral prepared to go to European courts with his claim that girl is dead and parents made up abduction



Madeleine McCann's parents could face years in Europe's courts fighting claims they invented their daughter's abduction to cover up her death.
Goncalo Amaral, the former Portuguese detective who initially led the investigation into their daughter's disappearance, has vowed to keep appealing if he loses a libel trial over a book in which he claims Madeleine is dead.
Amaral said his attempt to overturn the injunction on allegations the McCanns were involved in their daughter's disappearance was about "fundamental rights" and pledged to keep fighting all the way to the European court of human rights.

Outside the hearing in Lisbon, where the couple have been seeking to ban the book, Kate McCann admitted that listening to allegations they faked Madeleine's abduction was difficult but said nothing could be as bad as losing her child.
"If I'm honest, our daughter's been taken and nothing's ever going to be as bad as that. It's still been difficult, it's been emotive, because I know what's in the case files, I know what the conclusions are. So it's difficult to hear something that's incorrect and inaccurate. At the bottom of all this is a little girl and I think it's important that we don't forget that."
She said she did not regret pursuing the case. "I am pleased that we took the action and think that it will benefit Madeleine," she said. Asked if she believed they would win their case against Amaral, she said: "I am confident, yes."
Isabel Duarte, the McCanns' lawyer, accused Amaral of trying to put the couple on trial. The court has heard from a series of senior Portuguese officials who have claimed the McCanns were responsible for their daughter's death.
"They are trying to judge in a civil court what they could not judge in a criminal court," she said. "I am sorry my clients had to be submitted to this pain and this distress. This is awful, but we knew that Pandora's box was open."
Kate McCann was today accompanied to the third day of the trial by Fiona Payne, one of the "tapas seven" group of friends who were on holiday with the McCanns in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz when their daughter disappeared. Gerry McCann, who had been in court on Tuesday and yesterday, flew back to Britain last night to return to work.
The court today heard evidence from producers of a TV documentary based on Amaral's book.
The case has been adjourned until 10 February when the judge will hear from two witnesses not available this week. A ruling is expected by the end of February, however the case is just one step in a lengthy legal battle.
The McCanns are seeking €1.2m (£1.08m) in compensation for defamation in separate proceedings against Amaral but no date has been set for a trial

This case is still a mystery to me. I really find it hard to believe still that a parent could ever harm their child. But cases like Casey Anthony has certainly made me a different person. I hate thinking this child's parents could be responsible for this beautiful childs death. Just like with Jon Benay (sp) Ramsey.

Kate and Gerry McCann have issued a renewed plea for anyone in Portugal with information about Madeleine to come forward.

The couple are in Lisbon where they are suing the former lead
investigator in the case of their missing daughter, Goncalo Amaral.

Outside court, the parents held up placards with pictures of Madeleine and a Portuguese telephone number for people to call.

Mrs McCann said: "The important thing to remember is that a child is still missing."

The couple also said they wanted the whole investigation into their
daughter's disappearance to be reviewed by Portuguese and British
police.

They had earlier heard the final legal arguments in their fight to ban a book written by Mr Amaral.

The important thing to remember is that a child is still missing. Kate McCann

They will find out next week if the book, which alleges Madeleine
died in the family's holiday apartment and her parents faked her
abduction, will be banned for good.

The ruling is scheduled for February 18.

Mr McCann said the main reason for fighting the case was to make sure people kept looking for Madeleine.

"If people believe, unnecessarily, that she's dead without any evidence then we'll never find her," he said.

Mr Amaral's lawyers have described the case as an attack on freedom
of speech and vowed to go to the European courts if he loses.

The McCanns are pursuing him for about £1m in damages in a separate libel case.

Earlier, the couple revealed they were launching criminal proceedings against a Portuguese TV channel over claims they aired about the death of Madeleine.

TVI broadcast a documentary based on Mr Amaral's book, which was then subject to an injunction.

It is understood the McCanns' lawyer thinks TVI broke the rules of
the injunction by continuing to discuss the allegations against them.

Kate and Gerry McCann will find out later whether a book that
claims they were involved in their daughter's disappearance will be
banned for good.



The McCanns appeal for help in finding Madeleine in Lisbon

Goncalo Amaral, the former lead investigator in the case of
Madeleine McCann, is fighting to overturn a temporary injunction on his
book, which alleges Madeleine died in the family's holiday apartment
and her parents faked her abduction.

The McCanns travelled to Lisbon earlier this year to hear the final
legal arguments in the case and renew their appeal to find Madeleine,
who disappeared from Praia da Luz in May 2007.

They said they were fighting the case to make sure people keep searching for their daughter.

"If people believe, unnecessarily, that she's dead without any evidence then we'll never find her," Mr McCann said.His wife added: "The important thing to remember is that a child is still missing."

The couple also said they wanted the whole investigation into their
daughter's disappearance to be reviewed by Portuguese and British
police.

Mr Amaral's lawyers have described the case as an attack on freedom of speech.

They argued the material in the book is contained in the official
Portuguese police files for the investigation, many of which were made
public when the case was shelved in August 2008.

The former detective is being sued for around £1m by the McCanns in
a separate libel case, and the couple have also launched criminal
proceedings against a Portuguese TV channel.

TVI broadcast a documentary based on Mr Amaral's book prior to the
temporary injunction, but the McCanns' lawyers believe the channel then
broke the rules of the injunction by continuing to discuss the
allegations against the couple.

Mr Amaral has vowed to go to the European Court of Human Rights if he loses his case.

The McCanns, who are from Rothley in Leicestershire, will not be travelling to Portugal to hear the judge's decision.

Kate and Gerry McCann have criticised the “heartbreaking” failure by
Portuguese police to investigate new leads in daughter Madeleine’s
disappearance.
The Midland couple have called for a full case review into the inquiry, and have begged the Home Secretary to take over.
They
say they have been failed by international rules which mean that
Leicestershire Police have to pass any leads to their Portuguese
counterparts – who have closed the investigation.
Speaking
after a court upheld the ban on a book in which former lead detective
Goncalo Amaral claims their daughter is dead, they appealed for fresh
help from officials to find her.
Mr McCann said: “You would
hope that the parents of a missing child shouldn’t have to beg for such
assistance and that the authorities would do everything in their power
in the first place.”
The couple, both 41 and from Rothley,
have employed private detectives to search for Madeleine, who went
missing during a family holiday in May 2007.