Madeleine McCann police search to be extended into third day ...

The landmark search for missing Madeleine McCann at a remote Algarve reservoir is taking place following a tip from a "very credible" German police informer, it was claimed today.

Respected Portuguese media outlet Expresso said an informant gave detectives "details" they took "very seriously."

While German prosecutor Christian Walters confirmed to the press that the search is based on "indicators" from a source that they could find evidence in the area.

Expresso, a flagship weekly publication of Portuguese media group Impresa, claimed today it "knows that these searches have their origin in a tip from a BKA informant who the police force considers very credible and that the German police took very seriously.”

It said that German police requested the searches after receiving this information.

The media outlet said it had obtained its information from a “source close to the investigation.”

It offered no information on what information German police had been given by its informant, who has not been identified for operational reasons.

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German officers with sniffers dogs could be seen searching for evidence in a wooded area close to the shoreline.

German Christian Brueckner is currently the main suspect in the McCann disappearance.

In 2020 he was linked to the case, with the police stating him as the person they believe to be behind her abduction and murder. German authorities made him the official prime suspect in 2022.

Court documents from his last rape trial, list 13 previous convictions including rape, driving an uninsured car and drug dealing.

The convicted sex offender is currently midway through a prison sentence for raping a 72-year-old American woman in the Algarve, near where Madeleine disappeared.

He is also facing prosecution for allegedly raping another three adult women in Portugal and indecently exposing himself to two girls aged 10 and 11.

At 17 he received his first conviction for molesting a six-year-old girl at a playground.

Three days before the trial he dropped his trousers in front of a nine-year-old girl and asked her to perform a sex act.

A British MP and friend of Kate McCann has said they are exhausted.

Tatton MP Esther McVey helped set up the Madeleine McCann fund after she went missing in 2007 and told GB News yesterday: "Watching those pictures there actually brought a lump into my throat. I can't believe it's more than 16 years ago."

She continued: "There have been so many false hopes and horizons on the way - people have spotted her, there have been tip-offs - and yet we haven't found Madeleine and I genuinely hope for the family this does bring it to a conclusion."

She recalled a conversation with Madeleine's mum: "I remember when I last spoke to Kate, she said, ‘Esther, living with hope is exhausting, not sleeping, waking up, every moment hoping I’ll see her, just exhausting’.

"Madeleine McCann has shone a bright light in the very dark world of missing children and child abduction and, yes, it's about Madeleine but we must open it up to help other missing children, and Gerry and Kate did that."

Detectives are scouring the lake for any rags or fragments of clothing that could be linked to Madeleine McCann disappearance, according to sources.

Maddie's pink pyjamas, which were patterned with images of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, are understood to be a focus in the search, reported The Times.

And a Portuguese source close to the investigation told The Sun: "The search is being taken very seriously and is being controlled totally by the Germans.

"They asked Portuguese officers assisting them to look for any evidence - but especially rags."

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A cop who worked on the original Madeleine McCann investigation is sure we will find out the truth, as German police "clearly know something."

Speaking to the Mirror hours after fresh searches for missing Madeleine began in Portugal, 16 years after she went missing, Jim Gamble said: "I absolutely believe that during my lifetime we will find out what happened to Maddie."

At the request of German investigators, Portuguese police were seen extensively searching the surrounding area of the Arade dam, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where Maddie was last seen alive just before her fourth birthday in 2007.

The reservoir is said to be a favourite spot of convicted German rapist Christian Brückner, who is the number one suspect in her murder.

Child safety expert Gamble, who led the UK's own review of the disappearance of Madeleine, says he declines most interviews but chose to say something due to the development's significance.

Sixteen agonising years may have passed, but Kate and Gerry McCann understandably cling to a glimmer of hope that their daughter Madeleine could still be alive.

Their beloved eldest daughter Maddie vanished from their holiday apartment in Pria Da Luz on May 3, 2007.

The parents went out for dinner to a nearby restaurant with three other couples, only to return at 10 pm to find their three-year-old missing from her bed.

Ever since, they have campaigned to keep the search alive for their little girl, who would now be 20 years old.

In the latest breakthrough, police search teams are scouring a remote reservoir that has been described as a "little paradise" by German paedophile Christian Brueckner, 45 - the prime suspect.

And Kate and Gerry have never stopped fighting to find out what happened to their first born, who seemingly went missing without a trace.

Amelie, now 18, and applying to go to university was pictured for the first time since she was a toddler and gives a glimpse of what her older sibling may now look like as an adult

On the 16th anniversary of her disappearance earlier this month, Amelie lit a candle in her memory.

Amelie, accompanied by her friend Georgina, joined in repeating mantras read out by individual people in the 70-strong crowd including “Never never give up”, “leave no stone unturned”, “don’t forget about me” and “still missing, still missed."

Read more on the memorial service here

Child safety expert JimGamble, who led the UK's own review of the disappearance of Madeleine, says he declines most interviews but chose to say something today due to the development's significance.

He told the Mirror that the German Police statements are "uncharacteristic", as the language they are using suggests they are certain she is dead.

He continued: "From my point of view, the German police clearly know something. They have a level of confidence when they talk about their suspect and Madeleine's death.

"But they have not shared specific reasons with the public, as you don't want to give your suspect any more information than you have to until you're ready to charge them."

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Multiple images from today's search showed teams with their faces covered in bandanas as combed the grassland with sniffer dogs.

Images from today show police in the water on an inflatable boat, sniffer dogs along the banks of the reservoir and teams with shovels digging in the area.

Photos first emerged on Monday and by Tuesday multiple crews were seen at the reservoir.

There are four teams of Portuguese police and at least 20 German police.

Images also show cops walking from the reservoir holding brown bags.

The prosecutor’s office in the German state of Braunschweig said in a statement today: “As part of the investigation into the case of Madeleine McCann there are currently actions related to the criminal process taking place in Portugal.

“The actions are being implemented by Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of officers of the [German] Federal Criminal Police Office.

“Further information on the background will not be released at this time.”

German prosecutor Christian Wolter said: "We are investigating in Portugal on the basis of certain tips [tip-offs].

"I can't disclose the background at the moment, like why we are searching there and what we hope to find there. That shall remain our secret for the moment."

Teams were seen digging around the reservoir this afternoon.

The reservoir is 50 kilometres from where Madeleine went missing in 2007, and is not the first time it was searched.

Portuguese and German authorities are carrying out the coordinated search into the area.

Today at about lunchtime, more than 20 officers were seen digging next to the reservoir.

A number of bags were taken from the scene, the BBC reports.

However, it is not clear what is in them.

Sixteen agonising years may have passed, but Kate and Gerry McCann understandably cling onto a glimmer of hope that their daughter Madeleine could still be alive.

Their beloved eldest daughter Maddie vanished from their holiday apartment in Pria Da Luz on May 3, 2007.

The parents went out for dinner to a nearby restaurant with three other couples, only to return at 10pm to find their three-year-old missing from her bed.

Ever since, they have campaigned to keep the search alive for their little girl, who would now be 20 years old.

In the latest breakthrough, police search teams are scouring a remote reservoir that has been described as a "little paradise" by German paedophile Christian Brueckner, 45 - the prime suspect.

Read more here

The police officer who formerly headed up the UK side of investigations into Maddie's disappearance is certain we will soon find out the truth.

Speaking to the Mirror, Jim Gamble said: "I absolutely believe that during my lifetime we will find out what happened to Maddie."

He told the Mirror that the German Police statements are "uncharacteristic", as the language they are using suggests they are certain she is dead.

He continued: "From my point of view, the German police clearly know something. They have a level of confidence when they talk about their suspect and Madeleine's death.

"But they have not shared specific reasons with the public, as you don't want to give your suspect any more information than you have to until you're ready to charge them."

Gamble says if Brückner or anyone else has murdered Madeleine, then it would be very difficult to "completely and comprehensively" dispose of a body.

But Gamble believes that even if they find the "smallest, minuscule fragment of bone" new DNA advances would produce an identity.

He continued: "It is really difficult to say whether there will be any preserved evidence, but as I've said, there's every likelihood that the bones may well be intact."

Child safety expert Jim Gamble, who led the UK's own review of the disappearance of Madeleine

The Metropolitan Police said its officers have travelled to Portugal so they can inform Madeleine's family if there are any developments.

Today's searches for missing Madeleine McCann have happened after German police received "certain tip-offs" it has been revealed.

German prosecutor Christian Wolter said: "We are investigating in Portugal on the basis of certain tips (tip-offs).

"I can't disclose the background at the moment, like why we are searching there and what we hope to find there. That shall remain our secret for the moment."

He said he was unable at this stage to give more detail on what prompted the search, and what officials were hoping to find, but said that such details would be released "if we... think the results are publishable."

A team of German detectives appeared to be concentrating on an area in the shade of a group of eucalyptus trees. Several of them raked at the soil while others used metal rods to penetrate into the earth.

Officers are searching the Arade dam and the surrounding scrubland which is around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine was last seen alive.

Local police are coordinating the searches at the request of German police, whose citizen Christian B is the number one suspect in the case.

Christian used to visit the reservoir, allegedly referring to it as "his paradise" and Portuguese television channel SIC Notícias says German authorities want to know if there are "any remains" or "evidence that could bring new clues on the disappearance of the child."

The search will last for at least two days and maybe longer if anything significant is found.

New photos of the Barragem do Arade reservoir show the latest activity.

Search teams have launched an inflatable boat onto the water.

Officers have also been seen with sniffer dogs moving along the bank.

At 10 am more German police officers arrived wearing boiler suits and accompanied by a muzzled Alsatian dog.

Two plain-clothed officers climbed into the fire service rib and appeared to be photographing or videoing the peninsula where the search is concentrated.

The BBC has confirmed that the search of the reservoir in Portugal was requested by German officials as part of their investigation into the allegations against Christian Brueckner.

German state prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told Damien McGuinness, the BBC's Germany correspondent, that Portuguese police were helping with the search because of legal restrictions for German police to operate abroad and British officers were also present.

German prosecutors have released a statement as the search is underway.

It says: "Current investigative measures in the Madeleine McCann case:

"Criminal proceedings are currently taking place in Portugal as part of the investigation into the Madeleine McCann case.

"The measures will be taken through mutual legal assistance by the Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of

"Officials of the Federal Criminal Police Office implemented.

"For tactical reasons, no further information on the background is currently being released."

This morning at the Arade reservoir there is a hive of police activity.

The area where the search is taking place is tagged as "Parking Arade" on Google Maps.

A dirt track leads to a shaded dirt car park, where there is direct access to the turquoise waters of Barragem do Arade.

Two white tents are the only obvious indication that a search is taking place and the Mirror hiked to a peninsula overlooking the search scene this morning.

We spotted plain-clothed officers — one carrying a large paper bag was seen inspecting the stony shore of the reservoir area shortly after 9 am.

Other officers arrived in three vehicles, parking under the canopy of pine and eucalyptus trees where the main search is taking place.

Then more officers with a sniffer dog appeared on the shore.

Elsewhere on the reservoir, a red fire and rescue rib was positioned on a beach, apparently set to carry out water searches.

At the cordon, German police in balaclavas were seen arriving.

Madeleine McCann's parents, Kate and Gerry, are both doctors who met in 1993 in Glasgow.

They currently live in Rothley, Leicestershire, with their twins Sean and Amelie.

Kate was a GP and studied at the University of Dundee and Gerry was a cardiologist and now is a research professor at the University of Leicester.

After Madeleine vanished, Kate quit her job to work for children's charities.

The couple were married in 1998 and Madeleine was their first child, born five years later in 2003.

Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished 16 years ago and as of May 2023, she would now be 19 years old.

In 2012, police released a computer-generated image of what Madeleine would look like at the age of nine.

And December 2021, ex-NHS worker Simone Malik drew up a sketch of what she believes Madeleine would look like at 18 years old.

Simone, who is also an artist, claims she is a "super recogniser and has superstitious abilities to recognise and recall thousands of faces.

Her skills have been proven as in 2018, she played a part in bringing serial killer and rapist Imran Ali to justice in Pakistan.

Maddie's parents regularly give updates on the website FindMadeleine.com about the latest in the search for their daughter.

The last update they gave was on Madeleine's birthday on May 12, 2023.

They wrote: "Happy birthday Madeleine! We love you and we’re waiting for you. We’re never going to give up."

The reservoir where police are focusing their search is on lockdown this morning and an overnight no-fly zone covering the whole of the man-made dam was also put in place.

The airspace above the water and land near the water’s edge where today’s search will focus is open to police drones only.

The ring of steel meant journalists and curious onlookers were kept more than a mile back from two white tents put up yesterday.

No heavy machinery was taken to the area yesterday and council officials were spotted carrying a "lorryload" of wheelbarrows to the zone by the hidden leisure area clearing — suggesting police will rake and dig it by hand using the likes of pickaxes rather than excavate earth with diggers, likely in an attempt to preserve any evidence they find.

Convicted German sex offender Christian Brueckner is accused of committing five offences between 2000 and 2017, with the charges not related to the McCann case.

However, investigators do believe the 45-year-old, who moved to Portugal in his teens, killed Madeleine.

Brueckner was identified in 2020 by German prosecutors as the man believed to be “responsible” for Madeleine’s kidnap and murder. However, he has not been charged over the disappearance.

"He absolutely matches the profile of a person who could potentially abduct and or kill a little girl like Madeleine McCann", Mark Hofmann, a Germany-based crime and intelligence analyst told CBS News.

He continued: "His cellphone was tracked at the crime scene or at least next to the crime scene the night Maddie disappeared."