Anna Botting and Kelvin MacKenzie review the following day's newspapers, 11 May 2011

What Next For Madeleine Search?, 11 May 2011

What Next For Madeleine Search? Sky News blogs Sky News [Martin Brunt's blog] May 11, 2011 11:03 AM After Kate McCann's soul-baring in her book 'Madeleine', what next from the campaign to find her daughter? I'm told that while Home Secretary Theresa May continues to waver over calls for a joint UK-Portugal review of all evidence, her boss David Cameron may shake things up. A study last year, by former Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre chief Jim Gamble, backed such a review. He's supported, I'm told, by the Association Of Chief Police Officers, but Mrs May is still not convinced. She, presumably, has the proverbial heart-of-stone that's not been moved by the excruciating tales of woe, anger and frustration that have emerged in the newspaper serialisation of Mrs McCann's book, especially the bits about Portuguese police inactivity. The McCanns have written again to the Home Secretary asking for her help, but when they met her some months ago she told them she hadn't even read Mr Gamble's document. Stand by for Cameron to take a personal interest. And why not, at a time when his government is poised to bail out debt-riddled Portugal with a £4bn hand-out? There have already been high-level discussions between the Foreign Office and Portuguese officials to find a way of conducting such a review. One plan is for a team of UK detectives - probably from Scotland Yard - to got to Portugal and pore over the police files. One crucial exercise would be to do the mobile phone cell-site analysis that wasn't done. And follow up reports of previous intruders into the holiday homes of other Brits, as recorded by Kate in her book.

Review of tomorrow's newspapers, 11 May 2011

Review of tomorrow's newspapers Sky News live May 11, 2011 22:40 With thanks to MCF - Reggie Dunlop for images and 'bramble' for transcript Kelvin MacKenzie : The Sun has bought the book by the McCanns, book by the mother and it's been on the front page of their paper every single day since last Saturday. It has been massively, massively moving, it explains her very thought processes, how she felt when she realised Maddie was not coming back. How she dealt with being cross questioned by the police about having something to do with her daughter's disappearance, she uses an expression that ends in 'ING'. The way she coped with it was by saying '....ing tosser' when being questioned by a Portugeuse police chief, it's the only way she could do it so every time he put a nasty question to her she would say '....ing Tosser'. Anyway Lots of people who had question marks about the whole case....which I think lots of people have done and they've looked at Kate McCann in a very difficult way, think, when you have read that book, you knew, you basically knew that this is a woman who has died. Anna Botting: She's racked with guilt. They did leave their child... in an apartment and went to dinner so she's........ this woman racked with guilt. Kelvin MacKenzie: I'll tell you, I'll tell you, isn't it fantatic that people can be so judgemental...... so judgemental about leaving the children alone. Now I remember, with my wife, we were in a 2 star hotel in Torremolinos, my 3 year old daughter, we put her down to bed and went down to the bar, right, to have a quick drink. We were sitting there and our daughter was on the next floor up and the next thing, we looked up to see our daughter coming down the stairs crying. There's no mother or father who hasn't seen something like that. Anna Botting: But the difficulty is here, (directs question to the Media Lawyer present) this is something that you can help us with. This is under the jurisdiction of Portugal. Why, why write to the prime minister, what do they want him to do about this? Clever Media Lawyer: You feel totally helpless because anybody, whether you are a parent or not, has looked at that scenario and thought.... what if it was us? Just picking up on what you said about when you were in Torremolinos...... I just think there's, there's ......... it was so easy for people to speculate that it could be something that could have happened to any of us. Part of the psychology behind it was that if it was some stranger, some random attack................ Anna Botting: But nobody in britain had thought they had done it Clever Media Lawyer: I think for a while there was a terrible..... Kelvin MacKenzie: .....well you'd be, you'd be....Even if ....you made the point, eh..... eh, the fact that the children were alone why they were ...... while they were...... eh...... y'know, enjo... enjoying themselves Clever Media Lawyer: There are terrible websites still, no, there's all sorts of abuse about the McCanns Kelvin McKenzie:.....shockers out there Anna Botting: Why write to the British Prime Minister? Kelvin MacKenzie: In portugal it is very different, they have a hostile view of the McCanns, the police over in Portugal have been shocking, they have been charged with other offences, they trampled all over the evidence. If we had the British police from day one, Mrs McCann would be more at one with, with, with, obviously the guilt that she feels. Clever Media Lawyer: And if you can't write to the Prime Minister who are you supposed to write to..... after all? Kelvin MacKenzie: Not to a lawyer that's for sure..... Clever Media Lawyer: He always says that..... Kelvin MacKenzie: ha ha ha......

Could there be a breakthrough in the Madeleine McCann case?, 11 May 2011

Could there be a breakthrough in the Madeleine McCann case? ITN News blogs Posted by Keir Simmons 11 May 2011 I'm told that behind the scenes quiet negotiations have been underway for some time to try to persuade Portugal to cooperate with a review of the Madeleine McCann case. The last government commissioned an inquiry into whether it was possible. Whether the evidence gathered by detectives in Portugal, Leicestershire Police and the McCann's own team could be brought together. I'm told that report concluded that Portugal's government would need to agree to it. Hence the negotiations that have been underway which might well lead to a breakthrough at some point. If this is the case, it looks as if the government have not kept Kate and Gerry McCann informed in the way you might expect. They have issued an open letter to the Prime Minister. In it their frustration is clear. We could only use some of it in tonight's ITV News at Ten. So here it is in full: Dear Prime Minister As a devoted father and family man, you know the importance of children. Our beloved eldest child, Madeleine, was abducted from Praia da Luz, Portugal, four years ago. Since then, we have devoted all our energies to ensuring her safe return. Today we are asking you – and the British and Portuguese governments – to help find Madeleine and bring her back to her loving family. We live in hope that Madeleine will be found alive and returned to us. One call might be all that is needed to lead to Madeleine and her abductor. To this end, we are seeking a joint INDEPENDENT, TRANSPARENT and COMPREHENSIVE review of ALL information held in relation to Madeleine's disappearance. Thus far, there has been NO formal review of the material held by the police authorities – which is routine practice in most major unsolved crimes. A key piece of the 'jigsaw' could easily have been overlooked and not joined up with another. We have tried in vain to get the authorities in the UK and Portugal to play their part. But, sadly, our requests have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. It is simply not acceptable that they have, to all intents and purposes, given up on Madeleine.   I know you will share our concern that no law enforcement agency in the world is currently searching for Madeleine. Our small team of investigators is working alone. They do not have access to all the information gathered during the course of the investigation and have no statutory powers. It is fundamental for any major incident that a case review is undertaken to identify all the avenues that could be explored that might lead to new information coming into the inquiry. The information in Madeleine's case is not even held on one central, searchable database capable of linking data. The benefits of pulling together different bits of evidence can be enormous but until this is done we cannot be sure what, if anything, has been missed. Four years may have passed but Madeleine is still findable. As we have said before we don't want hollow, meaningless words. We want action. We want the authorities to help us. Madeleine's abductor is still out there – other children may be at risk. It is not good enough to just say it's a Portuguese investigation. It is not right that a young vulnerable British citizen has essentially been given up on. This remains an unsolved case of a missing child. Children are our most precious gift. Please don't give up on Madeleine. Kate and Gerry McCann

Madeleine McCann's parents urge David Cameron to launch independent review, 11 May 2011

Madeleine McCann's parents urge David Cameron to launch independent review The Telegraph The parents of Madeleine McCann have urged David Cameron to launch an "independent, transparent and comprehensive review" into the disappearance of their daughter. Kate and Gerry McCann have appealed to the Prime Minister By Andy Bloxham 11:00PM BST 11 May 2011 In a letter, Kate and Gerry McCann appealed to the Prime Minister , describing him as a father who recognised the importance of children to people's lives. The couple said they had "tried in vain" to secure a formal inquiry and added that it was "not right that a young, vulnerable British citizen has essentially been given up on". The letter was published by The Sun today, on the date of Madeleine's eighth birthday. The McCanns told the Prime Minister that a review could be fruitful as "the benefits of pooling together different bits of evidence can be enormous". A spokesman for Mr Cameron said he wanted to make sure the Government did "all it can to help them" and said finding Madeleine was the Prime Minister's focus on the issue. Mrs McCann yesterday described her fears that the "lovely" sight of her daughter Madeleine in a new outfit may have led to her kidnap. The doctor said certain images of Madeleine were forever etched in her mind, including a memory of the three-year-old in a peach smock top and shorts. Mrs McCann bought the outfit especially for a family holiday in Portugal, where Madeleine was snatched from their apartment four years ago, shortly before her fourth birthday. In an extract from her book, Mrs McCann said of the new clothes: "A small extravagance, perhaps, but I'd pictured how lovely she would look in them and I was right." She added: "I was following her with my eyes admiring her. I wonder now, the nausea rising in my throat, if someone else was doing the same." Mrs McCann's last photo of Madeleine shows her wearing the new top and sitting with father Gerry and younger sister Amelie by the pool on the day she vanished. "Heartbreaking as it is for me to look at it now, it encapsulates the essence of Madeleine: so beautiful and so happy," the 43-year-old said. Mrs McCann had been dining with her husband and seven friends at a tapas restaurant 100 metres from the youngster's room in the resort of Praia du Luz when Madeleine vanished. In another extract from the book, which is serialised in the Sun, Mrs McCann told how the couple had considered the Ocean Club resort to be a "safe, family-oriented" place. "Later we were told by British police that the ground floor location, access to roads front and side, secluded entrance and partial tree cover made our apartment a prime target for burglars and other criminals. Never once did this occur to us when we arrived." She said they would always regret the decision to leave their three children in their room while they dined, checking up on them regularly. But she added: "It is easy to be wise after the event. I can say, hand on heart, it never occurred to me that it might not be a safe option." Mrs McCann said she will never give up hope on finding Madeleine, and is convinced she is still alive. She said: "Certainly in my heart I feel she is out there. "We'll never give up on finding her, how could we? What parent would give up on their child?" Mrs McCann's book, called Madeleine, is published tomorrow, the day of Madeleine's eighth birthday. Proceeds from the 384-page book, which Mrs McCann has written herself without the aid of a ghost writer, will boost the dwindling fund to search for her daughter.

Letter from Home Secretary Theresa May to Sir Paul Stephenson, 12 May 2011

Madeleine's Parents Urge PM To Review Case, 12 May 2011

Madeleine's Parents Urge PM To Review Case Sky News 12:45am UK, Thursday May 12, 2011 The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have asked David Cameron for an "independent, transparent and comprehensive review" of their daughter's case. Kate and Gerry McCann have appealed to the Prime Minister Kate and Gerry McCann wrote to the Prime Minister on the eve of Madeleine's eighth birthday in an attempt to have all the information held by British and Portuguese authorities looked at again. Madeleine McCann was just three when she disappeared on holiday in Portugal in 2007. Their letter, published in The Sun, reads: "Dear Prime Minister, as a devoted father and family man you know the importance of children. "We are asking you to help find Madeleine and bring her back to her loving family. "We live in hope that Madeleine will be found alive and returned to us. "To this end, we are seeking a joint independent, transparent and comprehensive review of all information held in relation to Madeleine's disappearance. "Thus far, there has been no formal review of the material held by the police authorities - which is routine practice in most major unsolved crimes. "It is not right that a young, vulnerable British citizen has essentially been given up on. This remains an unsolved case of a missing child." Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for the McCanns, told Sky News the couple hoped the review would lead to all of the information held in both countries being properly examined. "Kate and Gerry want to know what has been done, whether any mistakes were made, what lessons have been learnt, but most importantly are there vital pieces of information still in these files that aren't being collated or compared and if there are vital links being missed. "They have made representations to several home secretaries and while they have had reassurances, the situation has not really changed and that is why they feel now is the time to take their campaign up a gear." David Cameron's spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister met Kate and Gerry McCann while he was leader of the opposition and he has followed their plight very closely. "He and the Home Secretary want to make sure the Government does all it can to help them." A Downing Street source added: "Our priority is that we find Madeleine McCann. Clearly this is a matter for the Portuguese authorities. "But we will continue to work with the Portuguese authorities." The official Portuguese inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance was formally shelved in July 2008, although private detectives employed by the McCanns have continued the search.

McCann Document "Sensitive", 12 May 2011

McCann Document "Sensitive" Sky News - Life of Crime Blog By Martin Brunt May 12, 2011 4:22 PM Kate McCann has confirmed what I'd heard about the McCanns' meeting with Home Secretary Theresa May to discuss the scoping report on the feasibility of a joint UK-Portugal review of all the information on Madeleine's disappearance gathered by forces in both countries. Kate said: "I asked her if she had read it and she said she hadn't." (Mrs. May's spokeswoman denied she hadn't read it.) According to Kate the Home Sec also told the couple they couldn't see the report themselves "because it's sensitive." Difficult to imagine how the meeting went from that point. I'm told the scoping report backs the McCanns' call for a joint review, as does the Association of Chief Police Officers. The McCanns have now asked the Prime Minister to intervene and get the Portuguese authorities to agree to the review, which would cross-reference any clues that could be linked. The couple have appealed to David Cameron in a letter which begins: "As a devoted father and family man, you know the importance of children." I asked Kate if they had turned to the PM because they felt TM was unsympathetic as she does not have children. Kate thought that was rather unfair of me, insisting that you don't need to have children of your own to feel for them.

Scotland Yard brought in to find Madeleine McCann, 12 May 2011

Scotland Yard brought in to find Madeleine McCann The Telegraph Scotland Yard has been drafted in to help find Madeleine McCann, four years after she disappeared. By Andy Bloxham and Tim Whitehead 10:24PM BST 12 May 2011 Officials in Portugal are understood to have granted permission for the Metropolitan Police to review their files for the first time. Madeleine’s parents Kate, 43, and Gerry, 42, have renewed interest in their case this week with the release of a book on the topic and a series of related interviews. On Thursday, on the occasion of her eighth birthday, they accused David Cameron, the Prime Minister, of lacking sufficient commitment to children. Last night, a statement was issued saying Scotland Yard would "bring their expertise" to the search, after discussions between Mr Cameron; the Home Secretary, Theresa May; and Sir Paul Stephenson, the head of the Met. However, few concrete details were available as to what form any Scotland Yard investigation might take. It is understood it will fall to a team under the control of Commander Simon Foy, one of the Met’s most senior officers and its head of homicide and serious crime. His team has not been formed nor a budget set, sources said, but it is likely that officers will fly to Portugal for the investigation. Madeleine, who lived with her parents in Rothley, Leicestershire, went missing from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve in 2007. The official Portuguese inquiry into Madeleine’s disappearance was formally suspended in July 2008, although private detectives employed by the McCanns continued the search. Mr Cameron personally wrote to the McCanns to confirm the reopening of the investigation. He described their ordeal as "every parent's worst nightmare and my heart goes out to you both". He added: "I simply cannot imagine the pain you must have experienced over these four agonising years and the strength and determination you have both shown throughout is remarkable. "I am acutely aware of the frustration you must feel as more time goes by and yet no news is forthcoming. That you have been so courageous over all this time and have not given up speaks volumes." It is understood a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes between the British and Portuguese authorities but agreement was only reached in the last few days. Portuguese police have repeatedly declined the Met's offers of assistance in the past. This will be the first official involvement of the Met although senior officers are thought to have advised Leicestershire Police, who have liaised with their Portuguese counterparts. The development means Scotland Yard detectives will now have access to the files and documents allowing them to go through them in fine detail. However, the Portuguese police will continue to be in charge of the case. The McCanns welcomed the announcement and thanked Mr Cameron and Ms May for committing "such a significant resource" to "begin this review process". However, it does not yet represent the "independent, transparent and comprehensive review" which the couple had demanded from the Prime Minister. A spokesman for the couple said: "It's clearly a step in the right direction. The expertise of the Metropolitan police service is renowned and we are reassured by the Government’s commitment to the search for Madeleine." A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "We can confirm that the Metropolitan Police Service has agreed, at the request of the Home Secretary, to bring its particular expertise to the Madeleine McCann case. "The Portuguese authorities retain the lead and we are not prepared to discuss it further at this time."

Request for An Independent Review Of The Case, 13 May 2011 (date appeared online)

Request for An Independent Review of Madeleine's Case findmadeleine.com Our Letter to David Cameron, 11 May, 2011 Dear Prime Minister, As a devoted father and family man, you know the importance of children. Our beloved eldest child, Madeleine, was abducted from Praia da Luz, Portugal, four years ago. Since then, we have devoted all our energies to ensuring her safe return. Today we are asking you - and the British and Portuguese governments - to help find Madeleine and bring her back to her loving family. We live in hope that Madeleine will be found alive and returned to us. One call might be all that is needed to lead to Madeleine and her abductor. To this end, we are seeking a joint INDEPENDENT, TRANSPARENT and COMPREHENSIVE review of ALL information held in relation to Madeleine's disappearance. Thus far, there has been NO formal review of the material held by the police authorities - which is routine practice in most major unsolved crimes. It is not right that a young vulnerable British citizen has essentially been given up on. This remains an unsolved case of a missing child. Children are our most precious gift. Please don't give up on Madeleine. Kate & Gerry McCann ----------------------- David Cameron's Response 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA THE PRIME MINISTER 12 May 2011 Dear Kate & Gerry, Thank you for your heartfelt and moving letter. Your ordeal is every parent's worst nightmare and my heart goes out to you both. I simply cannot imagine the pain you must have experienced over these four agonising years, and the strength and determination you have both shown throughout is remarkable. I am acutely aware of the frustration you must feel as more time goes by and yet no news is forthcoming. We discussed this when we met, but I realise that a further eighteen months have gone by since then. That you have been so courageous over all this time, and have not given up, speaks volumes. I have asked the Home Secretary to look into what more the Government could do to help Madeleine. She will be writing to you today, setting out new action involving the Metropolitan Police Service which we hope will help boost efforts in the search for Madeleine. I sincerely hope this fresh approach will provide the investigation with the new momentum that it needs. I know that everyone hopes and prays for a successful outcome, and our thoughts remain with you and your family. We will, of course, stay in close touch with you throughout. Yours, David

McCanns 'draw strength' from Scotland Yard move, 13 May 2011

McCanns 'draw strength' from Scotland Yard move The Telegraph Kate and Gerry McCann have drawn strength from the reopening of the investigation into their daughter Madeleine's death, according to their spokesman. By Andy Bloxham 6:00AM BST 13 May 2011 Detectives from Scotland Yard have been granted permission to review the files of Portuguese investigators for the first time. Kate, 43, and Gerry, 42, have renewed interest in their case this week with the release of a book on the topic and a series of interviews. The move comes after the couple made an impassioned appeal for David Cameron, the Prime Minister, to help them revive the search for their missing daughter. A Home Office spokesman said: "The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have agreed with Sir Paul Stephenson [the head of the Met] that the Metropolitan Police will bring its particular expertise to this case." The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell told Sky News: "They have had lots of reassurances but this is the first time there seems to have been definite movement towards achieving the end result they want. "That is simply to make sure that nothing has been missed, that there is not a vital piece of information sitting in Portugal, or in Britain, or in the private files, that linked up will suddenly unlock this. "That's what they need to know and hopefully with the expertise of the Met now being involved, one of the forces Kate and Gerry always hoped would be a component of any such review, that gives them great reassurance." He said the review would require "co-ordination and co-operation" from police in Portugal, which the McCanns were "pleased" to have. "It's movement on the case," Mr Mitchell said. "Something they haven't had for four years. So yes, they will draw strength from this, if not direct hope, they will draw strength that perhaps elements of this complex equation are possibly on the verge of being opened up. "More information will be forthcoming, and with the co-operation of the Portugeuse, hopefully it will lead to that examination of everything that they so desperately want to know." Madeleine's parents particularly want to know what mistakes have been made in the search for their daughter, what lessons have been learned, and what information is already out there that has not yet been collated, he added. Despite hoping for the best, they were "realistic", Mr Mitchell said. "They are very logical, very methodical," he said. "They know if they are presented with evidence to show what has happened to their daughter, irrefutable evidence, they will of course accept it. "But there is no evidence at all to suggest what has happened to Madeleine, good or bad. She vanished into thin air on the night of May 3, 2007, almost without a trace."

Madeleine McCann: David Cameron's letter in full, 13 May 2011

Madeleine McCann: David Cameron's letter in full The Telegraph Here is the full text of David Cameron's letter to Kate and Gerry McCann, dated May 12, 2011. By Andy Bloxham 6:30AM BST 13 May 2011 Dear Kate and Gerry, Thank you for your heartfelt and moving letter. Your ordeal is every parent's worst nightmare and my heart goes out to you both. I simply cannot imagine the pain you must have experienced over these four agonising years, and the strength and determination you have both shown throughout is remarkable. I am acutely aware of the frustration you must feel as more time goes by and yet no news is forthcoming. We discussed this when we met, but I realise that a further eighteen months have gone by since then. That you have been so courageous over all this time, and have not given up, speaks volumes. I have asked the Home Secretary to look into what more the Government could do to help Madeleine. She will be writing to you today, setting out new action involving the Metropolitan Police Service which we hope will help boost efforts in the search for Madeleine. I sincerely hope this fresh approach will provide the investigation with the new momentum that it needs. I know that everyone hopes and prays for a successful outcome, and our thoughts remain with you and your family. We will, of course, stay in close touch with you throughout. Yours, David

The Maddy problem, 13 May 2011

The Maddy problem PoliticsHome Paul Waugh Friday 13th May 2011 | 10:51 The Prime Minister's decision to intervene in the case of Madeleine McCann could have political repercussions. Although no one would have anything but sympathy for the McCanns' agonising plight, the decision of Downing Street and the Home Office to effectively direct the Met Police to get involved is causing some unease. Some within Scotland Yard are uncomfortable at the way No.10 got involved and now politicians are expressing worries too. I've just talked to Lord Toby Harris, an independent member of the Met Police Authority (and Labour peer) and he says: "It raises very big questions about political direction of the police. Presumably, if a Police and Crime Commissioner gave such an instruction it would be in contravention of the protocol published this week by the Government? "Of course it goes without saying that this is a very heart-breaking case, but what we are looking at is a case where the Met has no direct responsibility. "There is clearly an issue about the resources being used and are they in effect saying that the Met is the default investigator for every case in the world involving a British citizen? "It's not just a question of direct costs, it's a question of opportunity costs too. Our detective capacity is limited as it is." The Met had been examining the case but as recently as last week had largely ruled out any chance of making significant progress. The Home Office has agreed to meet the costs of the investigation but it appears only after the Met Police Authority and City Hall made clear it was unlikely to be able to approve the extra spending. UPDATE: I just raised this at the morning Lobby briefing and the Prime Minister's official spokesman tried to draw a distinction between a 'request' from the Home Secretary and 'political direction' from the Home Secretary. "It was done, yes, at the request of the Home Secretary, but it has been agreed by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. It's not direction, it's a request," he said. "It's quite an exceptional case. This is a very high profile case. It's clearly been going on for some time and there's a huge amount of public interest in this case. The Prime Minister has been very clear that he wants to do everything we can to support the family." When asked if the PM was simply following a tabloid agenda in the hope of good headlines, the spokesman said: "We are responding to a request from the family in a particularly exceptional case". I pointed out that if you are the Metropolitan Police Commissioner then a 'request' from the Home Secretary - especially about an operational matter like this - will feel very much like 'political direction', if not an order. Lord Harris is not alone either. Senior Labour figures agree that it's right for him to raise the points he has. FURTHER UPDATE. Lord Harris has gone further on his own blog. On the Prime Minister's intervention, he states: "This is in response to an open letter in The Sun and is entirely predictable in terms of the “pulling power” of News International on Government policy." He says the intervention "drives a coach and horses" through the draft protocol. Lord Harris adds that the new probe: "embroils their officers in a high profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters." -------------- Government publishes draft protocol for new police and crime commissioners and chief constables Home Office Wednesday, 11 May 2011 Press Release In the journey towards the introduction of the first Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in May 2012, the government today published a draft protocol setting out the relationship between PCCs and Chief Constables. As set out in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill currently being debated in the House of Lords, Police and Crime Commissioners will have a number of statutory functions as part of their role to hold police forces to account. These include setting the strategic direction of the force, holding the Chief Constable to account and setting the budget. The draft protocol sets out the PCC's legal duty to maintain an efficient and effective police force, and to provide the local link between the police and the public. They will work to translate the legitimate desires and aspirations of the public into action on the part of the Chief Constable to cut crime and antisocial behaviour. It also sets out responsibilities for areas other than the police force, such as the delivery of community safety through bringing together Community Safety Partnerships, and entering into collaboration agreements with other PCCs and forces to deliver better value for money and enhanced policing capabilities. The government has made a strong commitment to ensuring that the operational independence of Chief Constables will remain. The draft protocol, laid in the House of Lords today, builds on this commitment by making clear that Chief Constables retain the direction and control over the force's officers and staff. Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert said: 'The government is determined to replace police authorities with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners, to strengthen the local accountability of policing, give communities a voice and enable less interference from Whitehall. 'This draft protocol sets out the proper roles of Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables, and makes clear that the operational independence of the police will be safeguarded. 'We hope that the draft protocol will help to inform debate on the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, and we welcome comments on it.' In addition, the draft protocol also sets out the powers and functions of the Police and Crime Panel (PCP), which will scrutinise the decisions of the PCC. It states that, where the PCP seeks to scrutinise the PCC on an operational matter, the Chief Constable may also need to appear before the panel to offer factual accounts and clarity regarding the actions and decisions of police officers and staff. Furthermore, the draft protocol underlines the commitment to limiting the role of the Home Office in day-to-day policing matters, while restating the powers retained by the Home Secretary for use as a last resort in defined circumstances. These powers allow the Home Secretary to direct the PCC and Chief Constable to take action if they are failing to carry out their functions. The government committed during the passage of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill in the House of Commons to bring forward a draft protocol with the aim of making it available for consideration of the Bill in the House of Lords. A memorandum of understanding was recommended by the Home Affairs Select Committee. The draft protocol has been drawn up in association with representatives from Association of Chief Police Officers, the Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Police Authority Chief Executives.

The Prime Minister's instruction to the Metropolitan Police to review Madeleine McCann's death is in breach of the draft protocol that is supposed to protect the operational independence of the police, 13 May 2011

The Prime Minister's instruction to the Metropolitan Police to review Madeleine McCann's death is in breach of the draft protocol that is supposed to protect the operational independence of the police Lord Toby Harris blog Lord Toby Harris Friday May 13,2011 David Cameron has instructed the Metropolitan Police to review the case of Madeleine McCann. This is in response to an open letter in The Sun and is entirely predictable in terms of the "pulling power" of News International on Government policy. However, his intervention drives a coach and horses through the draft protocol issued by the Home Office designed to preserve the operational independence of the Police which says: "The operational independence of the police service, and the decisions made by its operational leadership remain reserved to the Office of Chief Constable and that Office alone." Whilst no-one doubts the desirability of doing what can sensibly be done to find out what has happened to Madeleine McCann, I can imagine that the senior leadership of the Metropolitan Police are not exactly happy about this. It again embroils their officers in a high profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters. ------------------   Note: Headline later amended from 'review Madeleine McCann's death' to 'review the Madeleine McCann case': The Prime Minister's instruction to the Metropolitan Police to review the Madeleine McCann case is in breach of the draft protocol that is supposed to protect the operational independence of the police Lord Toby Harris blog

PM: Madeleine Case 'Exceptional', 13 May 2011

McCann Document "Sensitive" Sky News Blogs By Ruth Barnett May 13, 2011 1:00 PM The Prime Minister wants to see a UK police review in into Madeleine McCann's disappearance because it is "clearly an exceptional case". That's according to his spokesman, who today rebuffed several potential criticisms of the decision - that David Cameron is bowing to the tabloid press, that it amounts to political interference by the Home Office, and that it will be costly. Mr Cameron considers it "exceptional" because of the significant public interest, the length of time Madeleine has been missing and the international dimension to the case. If there are doubters, they may point out that it is perhaps only the first point that is truly unique - there are other children who have been missing a long time, others who are missing abroad. And has the Home Office interfered by making this "request" to the Met? It is claimed not - because it was not "direction" and the force agreed anyway. But, as Paul Waugh over at PoliticsHome also points out, this is a particularly sensitive issue in the light of the Government's hopes for directly elected police commissioners. The Lords voted to change this policy earlier this week (though this will almost certainly be overturned by the Commons...) and one of the main criticisms centres on fears these hugely powerful individuals could make politically-motivated interventions. In a draft protocol on commissioners, published by the Home Office, it says its "strong commitment to ensuring that the operational independence of Chief Constables will remain". But when does a "request" become an instruction? And lastly, the cash. The investigation won't be paid for by the cops, but by the Home Office, thanks to "unallocated" money in the budget which will be given as a "special grant". But at this time of fiscal austerity, it may be a surprise to some that there is any leftover cash at all. I've asked the Home Office for more details on how much there is and what it is normally spent on - I'll update this post when I get a response. A quick search suggests in the past this pot of cash has been used to fund an investigation into a fatal fire and policing events such as political party conferences, plus there are reports the Government would help pay for the inquiry into the Cumbria shootings this way. David Cameron will be more than aware of all these issues and clearly believes it is the right thing to do and that all those involved have acted properly. His open letter to Kate and Gerry McCann, published in the Sun, indicates he is reacting partly as Prime Minister and partly as a father. Labour's shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has welcomed the McCanns' request for information and the authorities' decision to do everything in their power. This suggests while there might be questions about how the Government has responded, there's unlikely to be a row.

PM Defends Decision To Reopen Madeleine Case, 13 May 2011

PM Defends Decision To Reopen Madeleine Case Sky News 3:23pm UK, Friday May 13, 2011 David Cameron has asked Scotland Yard to review the disappearance of Madeleine McCann because of the "exceptional" nature of the case. The intervention came after Kate and Gerry McCann made an impassioned appeal for the Prime Minister to help them revive the search for their daughter, who vanished in Portugal in 2007 shortly before her fourth birthday. Now the Metropolitan Police are to "bring their expertise" to the search for Madeleine McCann after a personal request from the Prime Minister. "There has been a huge amount of public interest in this case since it began, Madeleine McCann has been missing for a long time, there is the international dimension," Mr Cameron's official spokesman said. "The Prime Minister has been clear that he wants to do everything he can to support the family." The spokesman added that the Government hopes Scotland Yard can bring a new perspective to the case and the Home Office will be providing "the necessary financial support". He went on: "The Government's primary concern has always been and remains the safe return of Madeleine. "Although she disappeared in Portugal, and the Portuguese retain the lead responsibility in the case, law enforcement agencies here have continued to follow up leads and pass information to the Portuguese authorities as appropriate." He also denied Mr Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May had been directing police on an operational matter, saying: "It was done at the request of the Home Secretary. It was agreed by Sir Paul Stephenson. That is not a direction." Downing Street said the review would be directly funded by the Home Office and would not come from the Met budget. The move comes after Kate and Gerry McCann hit out at the actions of the Home Office, saying it had offered "words, but no action" to assist them in the investigation. They welcomed the review and thanked the Government for committing such a significant resource as the Met. "This is clearly a step in the right direction," they said. "The expertise of the Metropolitan Police is renowned and we are reassured by our Government's commitment to the search for Madeleine. "We would like to thank (David) Cameron and the Home Secretary for committing such a significant resource as the Metropolitan Police to begin this review process. "We would also like to thank the general public for the way in which they have continued to support our campaign to find Madeleine." Despite huge worldwide publicity, Madeleine has never been found The couple had earlier made a plea to the Prime Minister, writing him a letter and urging him to call for a joint UK-Portugal review of all the information gathered since Madeleine vanished four years ago. Their letter began: "As a devoted father and family man, you know the importance of children." In a reply published in The Sun newspaper, Mr Cameron said: "Your ordeal is every parent's nightmare and my heart goes out to you both. "I simply cannot imagine the pain you must have experienced over these four agonising years, and the strength and determination you have both shown throughout is remarkable. "I sincerely hope this fresh approach will provide the investigation with the new momentum that it needs." Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, said: "We fully back Kate and Gerry McCann's request for information in Madeleine's case to be reviewed. Any overlooked piece of this jigsaw could be important. "A British child is missing, and the British authorities should be doing everything in their power to help in the search - including working with the Portuguese authorities in a review of all the available evidence." Speaking to Sky News, the McCanns' spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, said the review would give the couple strength. "They are reassured that the British Government is showing a definite commitment to the search for Maddie - something they have been asking for for years," he said, adding that they needed to know that nothing had been missed. "They want to look at what has come in since 2008; Kate and Gerry want the authorities in both countries to work together to resolve this." He said there was no evidence that anything had happened to Madeleine "good or bad" and that had given hope to her parents.

Madeleine McCann police review to take years and cost millions, 13 May 2011

Madeleine McCann police review to take years and cost millions The Guardian Sandra Laville, Crime correspondent Friday 13 May 2011 15.46 BST MPs criticise PM's ordering of lengthy and costly Scotland Yard review of police investigation into child's disappearance The Metropolitan police review into the abduction of Madeleine McCann could take months or even years to complete and cost millions of pounds. Detectives from Scotland Yard's homicide command face huge difficulties in examining all the paperwork that details the inquiry into the three-year-old's disappearance in Portugal in 2007. First they will have to wait for all the documentation to be provided by the Portuguese police, and then all the material must be translated before a team of detectives begins the arduous task of reviewing the whole inquiry. They will also review all the files from police in Leicestershire, the McCann's home force which provided some support to the Portuguese, and those of private investigators who have been working on behalf of the family for the past four years. Scotland Yard have begun an exercise to work out what size team should be involved in the Madeleine review. It is likely to include detectives from the child homicide unit at the Yard. The prime minister's decision to order the Met to review the case was criticised by some politicians. Labour peer Lord Harris of Haringey told the PoliticsHome website that he had worries about the way Cameron and the Home Office had behaved. "It raises very big questions about political direction of the police," said Harris. "Of course it goes without saying that this is a very heart-breaking case, but what we are looking at is a case where the Met has no direct responsibility. "There is clearly an issue about the resources being used and are they in effect saying that the Met is the default investigator for every case in the world involving a British citizen? "It's not just a question of direct costs, it's a question of opportunity costs too. Our detective capacity is limited as it is." The prime minister's official spokesman said that Cameron and Theresa May had asked the Met to review the evidence in response to a request by the McCann family because of the "exceptional" nature of the case. "There has been a huge amount of public interest in this case since it began, Madeleine McCann has been missing for a long time, there is the international dimension," the spokesman said. "The prime minister has been clear that he wants to do everything he can to support the family." The spokesman denied that Cameron and May had been directing police on an operational matter. "It was done at the request of the home secretary. It was agreed by Sir Paul Stephenson. That is not a direction," he said. Scotland Yard has had some high-profile success in solving cases which at first sight seemed intractable. After 16 years a new investigation of the Rachel Nickell murder led in 2008 to her killer Robert Napper being brought to justice following a DNA breakthrough. It was a review by a senior homicide detective of all the evidence gathered in an investigation into a serial rapist in south London that led to the conviction of Kirk Reid in 2009. After eight years in which no one had been arrested for scores of rapes it took the detective just a few hours with the paperwork to identify Reid as the main suspect. Five days later he had matched his DNA to two of the assaults and Reid was finally brought to justice. The approach in the Madeleine review will be the same as in any re-examination of cases in the UK, a police source said. "What we do is painstakingly look at all the evidence, the paperwork, the CCTV, any suspects who came to light and were investigated. Sometimes it takes fresh eyes to see what was always there." Madeleine of Rothley, Leicestershire, vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on the Algarve in May 2007. Her parents were dining in a restaurant about 100 metres away and were checking on Madeleine and her siblings every half an hour. The Portuguese inquiry was halted formally in July 2008.

Maddie Case: Judiciary Police denies involvement in British Investigation, 13 May 2011

Maddie Case: Judiciary Police denies involvement in British Investigation Rádio Renascença Yesterday, the British Government decided to resume efforts to find the British girl who disappeared in May 2007, in the Algarve. Liliana Monteiro 05/13/2011 16:43 Thanks to Joana Morais for translation The Judiciary Police denies that there is at this time any joint investigative team - involving Portuguese and British - devoted exclusively to find new clues about Maddie's disappearance. Contacted by Renascença, Pedro do Carmo, the Judiciary National joint director, explained that similarly to other cases, an investigation of this kind is never completely closed. Portugal's contacts with the British authorities and vice versa have occurred informally and spaced. The information exchange has taken place where necessary in the context of police cooperation. The new British incursion in trying to find the British girl does not bring any new responsibility to Portugal. It also does not give total freedom to the British to do any investigation in the Portuguese territory, unless it is done trough the legal processes. Pedro do Carmo explains the Judiciary Police continues to be open to all steps that might contribute to enlighten and solve Maddie's disappearance. So far, there is no new information, or evidence, that can lead to the reopening of the investigation archived in 2008, said the director. What is certain is if the English deem to be necessary a meeting with the Portuguese investigators to cross data and confer information, the Judiciary, guarantees Pedro do Carmo, will be totally available to continue to cooperate. David Cameron reopens investigation to the case Last night, the British government decided to resume efforts to find the English girl who disappeared in May 2007, in Praia da Luz in the Algarve. After speaking with the Home Office, the British prime minister, David Cameron, has ordered the Metropolitan Police of London to constitute a team with their best investigators to dedicate themselves to the verification of evidence of the Maddie case, that is, to do an operational analysis of this case. The British Government has announced it will provide all the necessary financial support. According to the British tabloid "The Sun" last night, Met Police Commissioner, Paul Stephenson, announced that a team from that force will travel soon to Portugal. Renascença contacted the Public Ministry to understand if they were informed of the British visit and what type of collaboration can Portugal provide, but so far didn't receive any reply.

PM's Madeleine Decision Was 'PR Exercise', 13 May 2011

PM's Madeleine Decision Was 'PR Exercise' Sky News Adam Arnold, Sky News Online 6:27pm UK, Friday May 13, 2011 David Cameron's decision to ask British police to investigate Madeleine McCann's disappearance has been criticised as being "like a PR exercise". Madeleine McCann went missing in 2007 Speaking to Sky News Online, public relations consultant Max Clifford questioned the timing of the Prime Minister's announcement, coming in the same week as the child's parents launched Kate McCann's new book. Mr Clifford also suggested other families with missing children will now be wondering what the PM can do for them. Mr Cameron has requested officers from the Metropolitan Police review the Madeleine case evidence after her father Gerry McCann asked him for help. But Mr Clifford said of the PM announcement: "To me, it's like a public relations exercise. "He's (Cameron) doing something right now. Why didn't he do it before? "The timing makes you more suspicious of the intent. It's like David Cameron comes to the rescue." He added: "What about other families who have got missing children. What is he is going to do for them." Mr Clifford also said the PM's announcement "could backfire" but he hoped there would be a "happy ending" in the Madeleine case and the little girl would be found safe and well. The review will be directly funded by the Home Office and will not come from the Met budget. The PM's spokesman said: "There has been a huge amount of public interest in this case since it began, Madeleine McCann has been missing for a long time, there is the international dimension. "The Prime Minister has been clear that he wants to do everything he can to support the family." Meanwhile, Madeleine's parents will find it increasingly difficult to keep their missing daughter's case in the public eye, despite UK police now investigating, another top PR expert has told Sky News. Mark Borkowski said it was "extraordinary" for a case to be "as big four years down the line". But he believed it would be "pretty difficult to maintain this momentum over the next two or three years". Gerry and Kate McCann publicise her new book Portuguese detectives, helped by Leicestershire Police, carried out an inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 2007. But the official investigation was formally shelved in July 2008 and since then no police force has been actively looking for the missing child. Mr Borkowski told Sky News Online that despite the British police now casting their eye over the Portuguese investigation, the McCanns and their spokesman Clarence Mitchell will ensure they will try to control the story. Mr Borkowski said it was "a mark of brilliance" that Mr Mitchell has managed to keep the story in the public consciousness for the four years since Madeleine went missing aged three. He said publicists have an understanding of how to shape a story, engage the audience and keep the media interest going. In recent times, the level of press coverage had waned as the search for the girl was scaled down. Madeleine's eighth birthday this week, which came just days after the fourth anniversary of her disappearance, was marked by Kate and husband Gerry publicising her new book about the case, extracts which have been published in a national newspaper. "The book was the hook", he added. The couple had tried to get the UK Government involved in the case for a while and wrote to Mr Cameron asking for his help, having met him 18 months ago when he was opposition leader. The couple said they had "tried in vain" to secure a formal inquiry and added that it was "not right that a young, vulnerable British citizen has essentially been given up on". Home Secretary Theresa May said the Metropolitan Police would use its "particular expertise" to review the case and that the Home Office would provide "the necessary financial support". A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We can confirm that the Metropolitan Police Service has agreed, at the request of the Home Secretary, to bring its particular expertise to the Madeleine McCann case. "The Portuguese authorities retain the lead and we are not prepared to discuss it further at this time."

Maddie Case: PJ Denies Involvement in British Investigation, 13 May 2011

Maddie Case: PJ Denies Involvement in British Investigation A Bola 17:53 - 13-05-2011 Thanks to Ines for translation The PJ has this Friday denied the existence of a collaboration with the British police in the investigation task into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the English girl who was last seen in Praia da Luz, Algarve. The information was provided by Renascenca. Remember that on Thursday night, the international media told of the British government's decision to order new efforts in the investigation of the Maddie case. However, no information was given about an involvement of the Portuguese authorities in the case, only the participation of Scotland yard.

Mark Williams-Thomas - Home Secretary did not want to commit the Met Police to any kind of review, 13 May 2011

Mark Williams-Thomas - Home Secretary did not want to commit the Met Police to any kind of review Twitter Mark Williams-Thomas 13 May 2011 13 May Just been told that the Home Secretary did not want 2 commit the Met Police 2 undertake any kind of review but this was over ruled by the PM - 7:27 PM May 13th Am told Home Secretary Ms May did not want to commit Met Police to any kind of Madeleine review but was over ruled by the PM- Mr Cameron - 7:34 PM May 13th And the deal was very much done at a political level between both Prime Ministers - not at a policing level - 7:39 PM May 13th 14 May As I said last night PM over ruled Home Sec who did not want Met or any other force involved - 8:34 AM May 14th

Madeleine McCann case: PM criticised for calling in Metropolitan police, 13 May 2011

Madeleine McCann case: PM criticised for calling in Metropolitan police The Guardian Sandra Laville, Crime correspondent Friday 13 May 2011 20.51 BST Peers describe David Cameron's intervention in case – after Kate McCann's open letter to Sun – as PR exercise Two peers who are members of police watchdogs warned that the independence of the Metropolitan police was under threat after the prime minister brought in Scotland Yard to review the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Insiders at the Yard played down any suggestions that their role could quickly lead to any breakthrough in the case, saying that the review, which will cost millions of pounds, could take months or even years. Labour's Lord Harris, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, accused David Cameron of bowing to Rupert Murdoch's empire, referring to Cameron's decision to call in Scotland Yard after Kate McCann wrote an open letter in the Sun asking for his help. Lord Bradshaw, the Liberal Democrat peer and vice-chairman of Thames Valley Police Authority, added his voice to the criticism, describing the prime minister's intervention as a PR exercise. "I am mightily worried about the politicisation of the police force. What appears on the face of it to be fairly innocuous orders – it's a fairly short step from there to telling the police they have got to investigate this rather than that," Bradshaw said. Harris said: "This ... is entirely predictable in terms of the 'pulling power' of News International on Government policy ... However, his [Cameron's] intervention drives a coach and horses through the draft protocol issued by the Home Office designed to preserve the operational independence of the police." Writing on his blog, the peer added: "I can imagine that the senior leadership of the Metropolitan police are not exactly happy about this. It again embroils their officers in a high-profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters." In a statement Scotland Yard denied it had been ordered to review the abduction. It said that the commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, received a request which he considered and decided on balance that it was the best course to take. Kerry Needham, the mother of Ben Needham, the British toddler who was abducted on Crete 20 years ago, said: "I am pleased for the McCann family and look forward to the government offering the same support to all the families with children missing abroad." If the Yard is given access to all the Portuguese documentation the first task will be to have it translated. As part of the review the Met's team – likely to be led by a detective chief inspector within the homicide command – will also examine files held by Leicestershire police, the McCanns' home force, who gave some help to the Portuguese officers. There is also documentation from a number of private investigators hired by the McCanns over the last four years. Although there was irritation among senior figures at Scotland Yard at being bounced into an inquiry, one source predicted that it would be quickly overtaken by a desire to do the best job possible. "It was political. But at the end of the day a child is missing." The Met has a copy of a review into Madeleine's disappearance completed by Jim Gamble, when he was head of Ceop, the child exploitation and online protection centre. It is understood to recommend that Scotland Yard be brought in to work with the Portuguese police on a review, but his report has been sitting on the home secretary's desk for more than a year until this week with no action taken. Scotland Yard released the letter to Sir Paul from Theresa May on Thursday. In it the home secretary says diplomatic contact has been made with the Portuguese police, who have indicated they would co-operate with Scotland Yard. But she made clear it would be down to the Yard to negotiate the details. The McCanns repeated their thanks to Cameron, saying the Met's involvement was a positive step.

Chance and the McCanns, 13 May 2011

Chance and the McCanns The Guardian A Met review buys easy headlines for the prime minister, yet cuts mean other victims have no help ------------------------- Duncan Campbell Friday 13 May 2011 21.00 BST ---------------- Kate McCann speaking at a press conference in Dublin to launch her book. A century ago, when there was a tricky murder or kidnap to solve outside London, a request would be sent by the local police force to Scotland Yard asking them to send one of the "Big Five", a legendary quintet of detectives who were deemed to have the expertise to solve the most complex of crimes. Yesterday the prime minister placed the same burden of expectation on the Metropolitan police when he instructed them to review the abduction of Madeleine McCann in Portugal four years ago. David Cameron was responding to an open letter written in the Sun by Kate McCann, the missing girl's mother, whose book on the case has just been published. It has been made clear that the money for any fresh investigation will come from the Home Office's budget rather than the Met's, but what can Scotland Yard achieve at this late stage? Cameron's reward for this intervention was the Sun headline: "PM: I've reopened Maddie McCann files". How many families of missing children whose cases have never achieved a fraction of the prominence of the McCanns' story would have welcomed such a high-profile call to the police. And how ironic it is that the appeal to the PM and his response should appear in a newspaper belonging to News International, whose vast array of illegal hacking activities is currently tying up some of our most diligent detectives. How ironic that the government can shove its hand into its pocket for a headline-grabbing investigation as it prepares to abolish the Forensic Science Service, which has done so much to track down criminals and which carried out important work on this very same McCann inquiry. How ironic that, just as the police are being told to cut their numbers, money can suddenly be found to reopen the most highly publicised disappearance in living memory. The UK police service routinely assists in cases when asked for help by other services. Had Scotland Yard any information that might have led it towards the abductor of Madeleine McCann, it would surely have been passed to Interpol or the Portuguese police. It is true that the latter carried out a highly unimpressive investigation, which they might blame in part on the obsessive interest by the British media in finding someone – anyone – who could be held responsible. But had there been real new evidence they would have been bound to pursue it. The McCanns are right to seek every avenue to keep their daughter's case in the public eye. The story of Jaycee Lee Dugard, kidnapped from a bus stop in California at the age of 11 in 1991 and rescued 18 years later, is enough to make any relative of a missing child think there must always be hope. But why the announcement now? If the kidnapper still has the child, one can be sure that the chances of them letting their guard slip will be lessened by the fact that a new inquiry is under way. Why didn't the home secretary just have a quiet word with the Met to see whether such a review had any real chance of success? The Madeleine McCann story has been a grim one on many levels: apart from the tragedy at its heart there have been false accusations, snide rumours, attempts by others to profit from bogus child kidnap claims. What it has always needed was a calm appraisal of the evidence and the offer of resources. Instead we are presented with an announcement by the government that wins it a day or two's headlines but does little for the other victims of crime whose chances of justice have been diminished by reckless, ideologically driven cuts. For the McCanns to appeal for help is understandable. For Cameron to respond in this way is opportunistic hypocrisy.

David Cameron 'didn't order' Met Police to review Madeleine McCann case, 13 May 2011

David Cameron 'didn't order' Met Police to review Madeleine McCann case Metro David Cameron has denied putting pressure on the Metropolitan Police to review the evidence in the Madeleine McCann case METRO WEB REPORTER 13th May, 2011 It was announced on Thursday that the Met would lend its expertise to the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine, who vanished during a family holiday in Portugal in 2007. The development followed the publication of an open letter in the Sun from Kate and Gerry McCann to the prime minister, asking him for help in the search for their daughter. Mr Cameron was subsequently accused of putting pressure on the police and threatening the Met's independence. Two members of the House of Lords, Liberal Democrat Lord Bradshaw and Labour's Lord Harris, suggested the Met's involvement was little more than a PR exercise by the government. A spokesman for Mr Cameron confirmed that he and Theresa May, the home secretary, had asked Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson to consider looking at the case, but denied ordering him to review the evidence. 'It was done at the request of the home secretary. It was agreed by Sir Paul Stephenson. That is not a direction,' they said. Scotland Yard backed that version of events and said Sir Paul had agreed to the request after deciding that 'on balance it was the right thing to do'. Madeleine's father Gerry thanked Mr Cameron for his help on Friday and said he thought the Met's input would be a 'positive step'.

McCanns Defend Police Intervention, 13 May 2011

McCanns Defend Police Intervention Sky News 11:04pm UK, Friday May 13, 2011 Kate and Gerry McCann have dismissed criticism of Scotland Yard's intervention in the search for their missing daughter Madeleine. They said Prime Minister David Cameron gave assurances that all funds for the case review would come from central Government and would not eat into the force's budget. Mr McCann said the Conservative leader's intervention would go a long way to addressing one of their key complaints about the inaction on the part of the UK police. "We welcome their involvement," he said. "We have been calling for a transparent, independent review. We have yet to see exactly the details of their involvement and what it will entail and I hope this does improve communication between the Home Office and ourselves, which obviously we have complained about, including yesterday." David Cameron had asked Scotland Yard to review the disappearance of Madeleine McCann because of the "exceptional" nature of the case. Jenny Jones, member of the Metropolitan Police Authority But Jenny Jones, member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said the intervention smacked of "preferential treatment". She told Sky News: "I am absolutely staggered by the Home Office statement suggesting there is good cause for this. "I feel incredibly sorry for the McCanns, because losing a child...I cannot imagine how much grief they have been through, but that does not give them the right to dedicated Met help on this scale. "You have to ask - does the Prime Minister see this as a popular thing to do, as a good public gesture? Does he think it will be good for his image? "I am staggered that he thinks it is ok at this time of real financial difficulty, to spend an unlimited amount of time and energy on something that may or may not produce results." The intervention came after Kate and Gerry McCann made an impassioned appeal for the PM to help them revive the search for their daughter, and wrote a letter to him. The girl vanished in Portugal in 2007 shortly before her fourth birthday. The Metropolitan Police are to now "bring their expertise" to the search for Madeleine after a personal request from the Prime Minister. "There has been a huge amount of public interest in this case since it began, Madeleine McCann has been missing for a long time, there is the international dimension," Mr Cameron's official spokesman said. "The Prime Minister has been clear that he wants to do everything he can to support the family." The spokesman added the Government hoped Scotland Yard could bring a new perspective to the case and the Home Office would be providing "the necessary financial support". He went on: "The Government's primary concern has always been and remains the safe return of Madeleine. "Although she disappeared in Portugal, and the Portuguese retain the lead responsibility in the case, law enforcement agencies here have continued to follow up leads and pass information to the Portuguese authorities as appropriate." He also denied Mr Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May had been directing police on an operational matter. He said: "It was done at the request of the Home Secretary. It was agreed by Sir Paul Stephenson. That is not a direction." The couple's letter began: "As a devoted father and family man, you know the importance of children." In a reply published in The Sun newspaper, Mr Cameron said: "Your ordeal is every parent's nightmare and my heart goes out to you both. "I simply cannot imagine the pain you must have experienced over these four agonising years, and the strength and determination you have both shown throughout is remarkable. "I sincerely hope this fresh approach will provide the investigation with the new momentum that it needs." Despite huge worldwide publicity, Madeleine has never been found Speaking to Sky News, the McCanns' spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, said the review would give the couple strength. "They are reassured that the British Government is showing a definite commitment to the search for Maddie - something they have been asking for for years," he said, adding that they needed to know that nothing had been missed. "They want to look at what has come in since 2008; Kate and Gerry want the authorities in both countries to work together to resolve this." He said there was no evidence that anything had happened to Madeleine "good or bad" and that had given hope to her parents.

Happy Birthday Madeleine McCann, 13 May 2011

Happy Birthday Madeleine McCann spudguns' spoutings Friday, 13 May 2011 21:39 It remains to be seen whether or not the British Government performs yet another U turn on their decision to fund the Metropolitan Police’s New Scotland Yard "review" of the evidence relating to the case of the missing girl, Madeleine McCann. David, "call me Dave" Cameron has just announced that he is asking the Met's finest to "bring their expertise to the case". Or as Britain's finest journo's opine: "Scotland Yard Hunt's for Maddie" and "Yard to try and bring Maddie back". As I currently write this, I understand that there are huge reservations and not an inconsiderable amount of discomfort amongst certain Senior Officers about this proposal. Ostensibly, because it means tying up much needed resources and manpower on what is, effectively, a VERY cold case. I would also suggest that quite a few of those reservations are held by bemused officers who will also be wondering how on earth such a review can possibly take place, given that it is going to require MORE than their "expertise" in negotiating certain 'aspects' of the case. Aspects that have categorically NO place in Team McCann's agenda. Aspects that unequivocally NEVER get mentioned in the British Press, nor are ever uttered from the mouths of its senior Media figures. Aspects that have no place in the sentiments or thoughts of the wealthy business figures who have bankrolled many of the McCanns exploits and sojourns around the world in their quest to "find" Madeleine. Aspects that have probably never even crossed the sycophantic leanings of the innumerable celebrities, pop stars, writers, TV presenters and public figures who have tied their ribbon on the Madeleine McCann cause. Those aspects being the Portuguese aspects. For, if there IS to be a review, then it cannot possibly take place without incorporating the Portuguese Police findings. And as much as Team McCann and the British Press, (and clearly to a degree, the British AUTHORITIES), like to assert that the Portuguese closed the case by concluding that the McCanns, (along with Robert Murat), were CLEARED of any involvement in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a thorough scrutiny of that final report reveals a rather different picture. For the report clearly notes a number of issues which are worthy of mention and indeed, further evaluation. In fact, as I have pointed out previously, I often wonder if in fact, whether the Press or the Authorities have actually read the report at all, or have in fact read a DIFFERENT report. From day one, this whole case has been beset with innuendo, supposition, conjecture, opinion, and theory, some of which is definitely conspiratorial. But the Police, IF they carry out a review, are going to have to address and explain away some FACTS that the McCanns and their supporters are going to find rather unpalatable. Like the FACT that the ONLY, tangible evidence that Madeleine McCann was ever abducted originates from Jane Tanner. And if they are going to try and validate and support Ms. Tanner as a credible witness, then they are going to have to try and explain not only WHICH of the MANY differing eyewitness accounts she and Team McCann assert to be genuine ARE, in fact, genuine:- (egg man, bundle man, spotty man, Robert Murat, hippy-man, paedo-man, FEMALE-man, god-knows –who- else –man), but also explain why ALL of the others are NOT. More importantly, (and I don't profess to be a Scotland Yard 'expert'), but if one is to conclude that Tanner is LYING, (and she clearly is unless she wishes to insist that ALL of her estimated 9 or 10 different descriptions are correct); then one would have to conclude that the evidence for an abduction is, NONE. A Scotland Yard man of merit would then have to further read the report, together with all the Portuguese reports, statements, documents and contemporaneous notes. And he would have to explain away the clear "inconsistencies" in the witness statements made by the McCanns and their Tapas friends, as clearly pointed out in the report that Team McCann asserts to be the one that puts them in the clear. Inconsistencies surrounding their movements, their observations, their positions at any given time, what they witnessed, what they saw. In order to clear this inextricable confusion and mess up, perhaps the Yard’s "expertise" can coerce the McCanns and their friends to undertake the essential reconstruction that the Portuguese could NOT persuade them to take. Another ASPECT that the Yard are going to have to contend with are the use of Enhanced Victim Recovery Dogs. Eddie & Keela’s findings in the McCann apartment and their vehicle and on many of the personal possessions of the McCanns are well documented. It is a very simple matter for Clarence Mitchell and the McCanns to glibly refute their findings, explaining away their "unreliability" and inadmissibility as evidence by pointing to a case in the United States where such evidence was successfully challenged by a top US Lawyer. Bit tricky to do the same thing when such dogs have made well documented, irrefutably PROVEN contributions to many Scotland Yard cases, not to mention hundreds of OTHER Constabularies all over the UK and elsewhere Worldwide. Best NOT ask the dogs, eh Gerry? Equally, perhaps the Yard can procure those DNA samples that were initially reported as being a "match" to Madeleine McCann, and explain why eventually, the FSS at Birmingham, (a department now facing closure) and who have for many years been Universally acknowledged as being "the BEST in the world", eventually decided, (after much delay and confusion), that the material in fact, was "not identified to pertaining to anyone specific". Perhaps the man at the Yard can exercise his expertise and cast some light on that blue holdall that Martin Brunt NEVER mentions anymore. No! I jest a little. What I REALLY want the Met's finest to do is ask Kate McCann exactly WHAT it was that was shown to Kate at her interview. As the final report clearly states: "Kate Healy was not immediately made an arguida, but merely interviewed voluntarily as a witness. Only after her interview was she made an arguida, that is, after she was confronted with concrete facts that might lead to her incrimination" "...concrete facts that might lead to her incrimination" ??? Concrete FACTS, Kate? Gerry? Mr. Mitchell? It can’t be brushed off as "scurrilous, unhelpful speculation" by those bungling Porto Plod. It's right there. In black and white. In the report. The report that Team McCann so vehemently wave in the faces of anyone who dares to doubt their version of events. You can't pick and choose the good bits, Clarence, and dismiss the rest as hogwash. I don't personally care about the McCanns. I honestly don't know what they did or didn't do. In the great scope of things, it matters little. I don't even admonish or criticise them for systematically leaving their children unattended, an act that would obviously contribute to Madeleine's disappearance, were an abduction genuine. Why not? Because I believe that the fact that their children were alone has absolutely NOTHING to do with Madeleine being missing. I'd so love for Madeleine McCann to walk home tomorrow; to confound the world and be found, safe and well. But that can't surely happen. Because if we have to hold on to some vestige of common sense and sanity in this case, then we have to accept the findings of those dogs, no matter what Kate says. (Actually, Kate you're right. The dogs DID want to please their handler, Martin Grime. Pleasing him is exactly the premise on which they function. For which they get a reward and a pat on the head. Pleasing their handler is ALL they know. That, and the scent of cadaverine or blood). We HAVE to give serious consideration to the truth that Madeleine died in Portugal, four summers ago. We have to do so, because the Portuguese investigated and believe so. It's clearly documented in their reports, even if that 'final report' doesn't quite specify so, but merely proffers it. Only the British Media refer to the Policia Judiciaria as "bungling", "inept", "Porto plod" and "sardine munchers". Prior to this case they were considered globally, rather like our OWN finest Police Force, as being amongst the best in the world. We also have to consider it so because it has been documented that Leicestershire Police ALSO advised of their belief that Madeleine died in Portugal. I haven't yet seen any tabloid headlines calling THEM useless. Not yet, anyway. Kate's book will, without a doubt, throw up HUNDREDS of yet MORE inconsistencies and contradictions. Not contradicting the Portuguese Police or other observers, but contradicting herself. When you tell so many untruths, it's so hard to remember what you said in the first place. Of course, it's entirely possible that this "review" will never take place at all. At least, not in the form that it should. Because now, I believe the case of Madeleine McCann to be at a most crucial crossroads. I believe that the outcome of this "review" will either decide that a historically unprecedented number of people are going to be subjected to some accusatory probing and be eternally embarrassed, including at least ONE ex- Prime Minister, by virtue of the Yard finding that the McCanns DO have something to hide, as purported by the Portuguese; OR. OR. The Government cut the Portuguese out of the "review" all together, meaning that the Britain's finest Police Force will have to find in accordance with what they believe themselves. Or, rather, what they are told to believe. And this case will continue to be a tragedy for us, one and all. Happy Birthday, Madeleine, wherever you may be.

Scotland Yard get £3.5m for Madeleine inquiry, 14 May 2011

Scotland Yard get £3.5m for Madeleine inquiry Daily Mirror by David Collins 14/05/2011 A SPECIAL £3.5million grant is being given to Scotland Yard to fund the Madeleine McCann inquiry. The Home Office cash will fund a team – led by an experienced detective – which is being set up in the next few days to carry out a review of the entire investigation. It will cover the cost of man hours, flights to Portugal, hotels, consultation fees from forensic firms and any other expenses. There will also be a hefty cost for translation work on the thousands of documents requested from Portuguese authorities. Files from Leicestershire Police – said by police sources to be "substantial" – will also be ­examined by the London team. Leicestershire has been the UK liaison force for the McCann family and posted officers to Portugal during the hunt. The funding comes after Kate and Gerry McCann made an impassioned appeal to David Cameron for help to find their daughter, who was three when she vanished in Portugal in 2007. The Prime Minister, who met the couple 18 months ago while in opposition, has already written to them saying he had personally authorised the review. A police source said: "The money is ring-fenced and is an emergency grant put to one side by the Home Office. "It will be made available to the ­Metropolitan Police specifically for the review of the Madeleine McCann case." The insider said the task was "enormous" and could take years. The McCanns, who believe ­Portuguese police botched the investigation, said: "This is a step in the right ­direction. "The expertise of the Metropolitan Police is renowned and we are reassured by our Government's commitment to the search for Madeleine." The couple have written a book, entitled simply Madeleine, which they hope will boost funds for the police investigation further.

Kate McCann's Liverpool-based mum, Susan Healy, welcomes Scotland Yard help in hunt for Madeleine, 14 May 2011

Kate McCann's Liverpool-based mum, Susan Healy, welcomes Scotland Yard help in hunt for Madeleine Liverpool Echo by Paddy Shennan May 14 2011 KATE McCANN'S Liverpool-based mum has welcomed the news that Scotland Yard is to bring its expertise to the hunt for missing Madeleine. Susan Healy, from Allerton, told the ECHO: "It's good news, although we don't really know what will be involved in it. The police here really need the co-operation of the police in Portugal. "We are all in Europe so it's strange this co-operation is not an automatic thing, with police forces working together – not just in the case of Madeleine, but in the case of any missing child in Europe. The diplomacy, perhaps, should be easier. We're all in it together. "But it's good news and I'm sure Kate and Gerry will feel some of the weight has been taken off their shoulders." Kate and Gerry McCann made an impassioned appeal for the Prime Minister to help them revive the search for their daughter, who vanished in Portugal in 2007 shortly before her fourth birthday. The news that David Cameron had intervened was revealed on Thursday – Madeleine's eighth birthday and the day Kate and Gerry held a press conference to publicise her book, "Madeleine". Welcoming the fact that the book has galvanised the hunt for Madeleine, Kate’s mum explained: "If Kate and Gerry were going to have to keep up the search on their own they needed the money for the fund. But Kate probably would have written this book for her children anyway – though not for publication. "It's a very intimate book and I know what my daughter is like – she is a very private person." Downing Street said David Cameron had called in the Metropolitan Police to review Madeleine's disappearance because of the "quite exceptional" nature of the case. The Prime Minister's official spokesman also confirmed that the operation, which will involve Scotland Yard officers going to Portugal, will be funded entirely from Home Office emergency funds rather than from stretched police resources. And he rejected suggestions the PM was "dancing to a tabloid agenda" or engaged in "political interference in police matters". He said: "This is a quite exceptional case. The police are going to review the case and the way they approach that is clearly an operational matter for the police." Meanwhile, Home Secretary Theresa May said the Met "have the skills, techniques and know-how which we hope can bring a new perspective to the case". And her spokesman confirmed that the Portuguese authorities will retain "lead responsibility."

Gonçalo Amaral defends reopening of the Maddie Case, 14 May 2011

Gonçalo Amaral defends reopening of the Maddie Case Sic Notícias Former coordinator of the investigation says a review of the process by Scotland Yard is good news 14 May 2011 Transcript/Translation thanks to anonymous @37/Joana Morais Voiceover: "Information that Scotland Yard will be reviewing all the information in the Maddie case caught Gonçalo Amaral halfway between Spain and Portugal. Upon his return to the Algarve, the former investigation coordinator, who was removed from the case in October 2007 by the heads of the PJ, says that the involvement of the Metropolitan Police is good news because although the process was shelved, there is still a lot to be investigated." Gonçalo Amaral: "They (SY) should read the report, all the reports, by the private detectives working for the McCanns, for many reasons – to discover what clues they contain, and what type of information, and to find out what they have been doing because they have been using up a fund of millions of pounds, for four years, from taxpayers and many of the people who believed in this fund." Voiceover: "Gonçalo Amaral hopes that the British authorities won't be restricted to just analysing the sightings which are in the file, but that they will also concentrate on, for example, what happened to Maddie's blanket, and that they formally and finally open a case in the UK, since up until now all they have done is to collaborate with the Portuguese investigation." Gonçalo Amaral: "This case is registered in England, namely by the British authorities, as a mere disappearance, not as a child abduction, and the issue here is that we are looking at either a false allegation of abduction or an actual abduction, that's the big question and that's what needs to be clarified, via an in-depth review of what has been done and by doing what hasn't yet been done, namely ... and using all the information, whether it's from the private detectives or all the sightings which later occurred, but based on the process." Voiceover: "Amaral says that if the help of Scotland Yard serves to reopen the case in Portugal, the first thing which should be done is the reconstruction of the night of the disappearance, to which Kate and Gerry never agreed. The British authorities' desire to once again focus on the case came from the British Prime Minister himself, and happened the day after Kate launched a book in which she doesn't hold back from criticising the Portuguese investigation. The book will shortly have another one vying for attention. Gonçalo Amaral has already finished writing his second book about the case."

Madeleine McCann detective is named, 14 May 2011

Madeleine McCann detective is named Scotland on Sunday By Nicholas Christian 14 May 2011 9:03 PM - Published Date: 15 May 2011 THE DETECTIVE who will lead Scotland Yard's review of the Madeleine McCann case conducted an investigation which snared a killer after a cold case review. Scotland Yard said Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command (HSCC), would be the senior investigating officer in the case. He led the investigation which captured murderer Miguel da Silva, who went on the run for 15 years after strangling mother-of-two Susan Martin, 44, in 1994. Da Silva was jailed for life at the Old Bailey last November and told that he must serve at least 16 years behind bars. The court heard that da Silva, described as "possessive and controlling", throttled his lover at her flat in Notting Hill, west London, the day before she planned to leave him to go back to Manchester. He handed himself in to police but in 1995 escaped from a hospital and fled to Spain where he raped two women while on the run, before being traced in 2009. In January 1999 he was jailed for seven years for raping a woman he had befriended in Torremolinos and in May 2008 was given a nine-year sentence for a similar attack in Salamanca. But the crimes did not at first lead to his capture by British police as he was using false identities. It was only after detectives launched a cold case review in 2009 that circulated his fingerprints to Spain and Portugal that they found he was already in custody. The review of the case comes after intervention by Prime Minister David Cameron and has been criticised in some quarters as undermining the independence of the force. Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have welcomed it. Portuguese police helped by officers from Leicestershire Police investigated Madeleine's disappearance from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on 3 May, 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday. But the official inquiry was formally shelved in July 2008 and since then no police force has been actively looking for the missing child.

Madeleine McCann witnesses asked to relive night she disappeared, 15 May 2011

Madeleine McCann witnesses asked to relive night she disappeared Sunday Express by James Murray Sunday May 15 2011 KEY witnesses in and around the Ocean Club resort complex when Madeleine McCann disappeared should be asked to take part in a re‑enactment to help the Scotland Yard hunt for the child. Former Yard Commander Dai ­Davies believes a controversial reconstruction with Kate and Gerry McCann, their holiday friends and others could be vital in encouraging new witnesses to come forward. When top Portuguese detective Paulo Rebelo took over the case he was frustrated at not being able to stage a reconstruction as he believed it could provide a breakthrough. However, at that time there were strains in the relationship with the McCanns, the so-called Tapas Seven and Portuguese police and there was suspicion about the motives of such an exercise. Mr Davies, head of royal protection at the Yard and now a respected ­security consultant, said: "I believe a reconstruction should be one of the ideas on the table and it should be seriously considered, although it would obviously have to be handled very gently and diplomatically. "Reconstructions screened on Crimewatch many, many years after serious crimes have been crucial in solving complex and difficult inquiries. If the reconstruction was screened across Europe it may inspire someone to come forward with crucial information." Jane Tanner, the friend of the McCanns who claimed she saw a man carrying a child near apartment 5a of the complex at Praia da Luz on Portugal's Algarve on May 3, 2007, days before Madeleine’s fourth birthday, has already taken part in a partial reconstruction for a TV ­documentary. Another crucial witness is Irishman Martin Smith, who also saw a man carrying a child in his arms later in the evening. Mr Davies said: "As well as these important witnesses it would be useful to seek the cooperation of others who were working at the tapas bar. "With the close involvement of the Yard and cooperation with all the important witnesses and an agreement for a filmed version to be screened on Crimewatch and its ­Portuguese equivalent, I believe a reconstruction would be very useful. I also think the Yard should conduct a ­thorough overhaul of all the forensic evidence as something may have been missed and they should trawl over the crucial witnesses to see if a line of inquiry was not pursued. "A lot of photofits have been ­produced over the years and the team will be anxious to try to identify those people." John O'Connor, former head of the Yard's Flying Squad, said: "They are lucky in that there is already a mountain of evidence to go through and analyse and they are very good at that. They are very good at concentrating on the really important leads and how they were pursued." Although the Portuguese police publicly released scores of files on the case, they withheld documents with details of British people living in the area with criminal records for sex offences. That information will now come under the microscope of the Yard's elite Homicide and Serious Crime Command unit. Det Chief Insp Andy Redwood will lead the team and he will be reporting to Det Chief Supt Hamish Campbell, Operational Command Unit commander. The senior officer in overall charge is ­Commander Simon Foy. Mr Campbell is used to handling difficult, high profile cases as he was responsible for investigating the ­murder of BBC news presenter Jill Dando and is known for his attention to detail and his tenacity. It is expected DCI Redwood will at times have 10 officers working for him and he will split them up into groups concentrating on different aspects of the case. He is expected to travel to Portugal later in the month with a small team to liaise with ­detectives in Lisbon and Portimao, some 20 miles from Luz. Portuguese police are still the lead force in the investigation. In her book, Madeleine, published last week, Kate McCann, 43, revealed the existence of a note in the Ocean Club staff message book saying that the families were leaving their ­children behind each night. She said: "I was dismayed. This was a glaring light to a child taker and yet no mention is made of it in the files until December 2007. December 2007! Seven months after Madeleine's abduction! I could only conclude that its relevance had not been appreciated by the police." One avenue the officers will explore is whether sightings of Madeleine were taken seriously and properly examined. Last week an elderly woman contacted the Sunday Express to say she saw Madeleine at the Spanish coastal town of Torrevieja, near Murcia, the day after the kidnapping. The woman, aged 81, said she and her husband saw a girl with a suspicious looking man near some shops. She said: "It was definitely Madeleine because I recognised the mark in her eye. I went to the police there and I have been to British police but I don’t believe the sighting was properly investigated." We have passed on details of this incident to private investigators ­working for the McCanns. Last week we revealed that ­German youth worker Martin N, who is being questioned about a spate of child murders across Europe, will be asked if he was in Praia da Luz when Madeleine vanished. German police say he has ­confessed to one child murder and will be questioned about some 40 sex attacks.

The McCanns: David Cameron's use of grief for political ends is shameful, 15 May 2011

The McCanns: David Cameron's use of grief for political ends is shameful The Observer The prime minister's intervention came on the day a national newspaper urged him to act Editorial Sunday 15 May 2011 There are no words adequate to describe the pain experienced by Kate and Gerry McCann over the disappearance of their daughter, Madeleine, in 2007. The whole country has been witness to their suffering. David Cameron, as a father, as a human being, is no more immune to their agony than anyone else. Perhaps that is why he asked Scotland Yard to review the case. But that is not the only reason. The prime minister's intervention came on the same day that a national newspaper urged him to act. Mr Cameron, remember, is a former public relations executive for a television company. For some, the McCanns' expressions of gratitude will be enough to allay criticism of Downing Street. But Mr Cameron needs to be careful about presenting himself as some benevolent tsar, bestowing favours on petitioning subjects. "An exceptional case" is the defence from Number 10. Indeed it is, and a tragic one, but for that very reason it is not necessarily the right context in which to set policy. And Mr Cameron's action is not without policy implications. His government is currently struggling to push legislation through Parliament that would change the structures that hold police forces accountable. The Conservatives lost a vote in the House of Lords over the establishment of popularly elected police commissioners. Much of the debate over this issue hinges on the question of whether forces would be more or less subject to political interference. The official Tory line is that the police – and other public servants – should face less meddling from the centre. Yet it seems Mr Cameron excuses himself from that rule. The Metropolitan Police, struggling to implement huge budget cuts and facing many other heartrending, unsolved cases, must set its priorities to the prime minister's fiat. The nation is united in respect for the McCanns' grief. Shame on Mr Cameron for playing politics with it.

Cops new e-fit of Maddie abducter, 15 May 2011

Cops new e-fit of Maddie abducter News of the World Met team's high tech image EXCLUSIVE by Matthew Drake May 15, 2011 THE face of Madeleine McCann's abductor could finally be unmasked by hi-tech police profiling computers, we can reveal. A Metropolitan Police case review squad will be given access to key descriptions of potential suspects. And they will use advanced software to produce a definitive e-fit. It is hoped it will produce an image of a man seen lurking near the McCanns' holiday flat in Portugal around the time Madeleine was snatched. Several eyewitness accounts of the "suspicious" male will be run through the Electronic Facial Identification Technique. The team will be led by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood - who snared a Portuguese killer who had been on the run for 15 years. DCI Redwood will utilise profiling software - available to just five forces worldwide - to mine a wealth of data buried in the original McCann files. A source close to Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry, of Rothley, Leics, said: "There is a long list of people who were interviewed at the time. "Several of these spotted a man acting suspiciously around their apartment. It's a good chance this was the same man as many of the descriptions are extremely similar. They have never been co-ordinated because several were never put in the public domain by the Portuguese police. Kate found them only by trawling through the files. She was devastated. "Now with the review we can pull all these together for the first time." DCI Redwood will oversee a team of murder squad detectives at London's Belgravia Police Station. Around ten officers will work on the review - with others on stand-by in case of a major breakthrough. A Scotland Yard source said: "Andy is an extremely experienced homicide detective." Kate, 43, and Gerry, 42, are confident that a single image will galvanise the global search for Madeleine, who vanished in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, when just three. Last night a private detective hired by the couple was set to give his huge dossier of evidence to Scotland Yard. Our source said the work of ex-cop Dave Edgar "will be of enormous help to the Met for the review". The source added: "The Met will have the files from the Portuguese and Leicestershire police but Dave's work has been the only real active investigation for the last two years."

After Maddie, where does the PM draw the line?, 15 May 2011

After Maddie, where does the PM draw the line? The Observer By Barbara Ellen Sunday 15 May 2011 As I wrote last week, I have every sympathy for Kate and Gerry McCann. I can understand why they wrote an open letter in the Sun asking David Cameron to review Madeleine's case. What did seem odd was Cameron's instant, protocol-breaking offer of help. The cynical mindset is that, in all the time Cameron has been prime minister, it took an open letter to make him feel that he had to act. Does this have the whiff of engineered populism about it? On the other hand, Cameron is probably genuinely sympathetic to the McCanns. In fact, he only did what I'd have done – cry: "To hell with protocol, let's help the McCanns!" But that's why I'm not prime minister. Indeed – and this is not the McCanns' problem – where does this special attention end? Scotland Yard is said to be concerned about possible implications regarding other cases. The government may find itself in a moral quagmire: there are other missing people, with loved ones just as desperate. Where do you draw the line? Understandably, the McCanns aren't asking too many questions about the wider ramifications of their latest lifeline, but perhaps others will have to.

Police authority: Maddie inquiry is a 'ludicrous' waste of money, 15 May 2011

Police authority: Maddie inquiry is a 'ludicrous' waste of money Mail on Sunday By MAIL ON SUNDAY REPORTER Last updated at 1:48 AM on 15th May 2011 The new police inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was yesterday described as a 'ludicrous' waste of money by a senior member of the body which governs Scotland Yard. Jenny Jones said the millions spent on the review by British detectives – ordered last week by David Cameron – would deny 'other victims of crime the chance of justice'. Ms Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, has vowed to do everything in her power to stop the inquiry. Her comments echo disquiet expressed by her fellow MPA member, Labour peer Toby Harris, who accused the Prime Minister of undermining the operational independence of the police. Ms Jones said Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, had been given preferential treatment. 'The police should not take this case up in this way,' she said. 'It is ludicrous. This could take years and will cost millions. It is very unusual for police to step in like this and it is not an appropriate use of police resources.' Ms Jones, who is also a member of the London Assembly, added that the MPA would now be 'asking tough questions about this'. 'The Government is closing down the Forensic Science Service because there are not enough funds. This is a crucial part of police work. Although it is tragic and I feel for the McCanns, how can the Prime Minister justify spending millions of pounds on one case?' Maddie, who would have turned eight last week, went missing from a Portuguese holiday apartment in May 2007. Her parents believe she is still alive but Portuguese Police shelved the case in 2008. Now the Metropolitan Police will 'bring their expertise' to the search for Maddie. The review will be led by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood who, after a cold case review, snared murderer Miguel da Silva 15 years after he strangled mother-of-two Susan Martin, 44, in 1994. The McCanns yesterday dismissed the criticism saying: 'We welcome their involvement.' They said Mr Cameron gave assurances that all funds for the case review would come from central Government and would not eat into the force's budget.

Detective in charge of Maddie Hunt led the investigation into Jill Dando's murder, 15 May 2011

Detective in charge of Maddie Hunt led the investigation into Jill Dando's murder Sunday Mirror by Justin Penrose 15/05/2011 THE detective now in charge of the hunt for Madeleine McCann is the man who led the probe into the death of TV presenter Jill Dando. Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell was head of the team that won the conviction of Barry George – later quashed on appeal – for the 1999 shooting. In charge of the day-to-day investigation is Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command. He led a "cold case" investigation that captured murderer Miguel da Silva, who went on the run for 15 years after strangling mother-of-two Susan Martin, 44, in 1994. Da Silva was jailed for life at the Old Bailey last November. Det Chief Insp Redwood will report to Chief Supt Campbell and the senior officer in charge of the HSCC, Commander Simon Foy. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson ordered the review of Madeleine's disappearance after David Cameron asked Scotland Yard to help. It is not clear whether ­officers will be sent to Portugal to review the evidence. The Prime Minister has been criticised by some for using up valuable resources. But Madeleine's parents have welcomed the move.

So when was Yard help offered?, 15 May 2011

So when was Yard help offered? Sunday Express by James Murray Sunday May 15 2011 HOME Secretary Theresa May is under pressure to explain exactly when Portuguese detectives made their offer to work with Scotland Yard. Writing to Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul Stephenson, Mrs May told him: "Following discussions between our Ambassador in Lisbon and the Portuguese Judicial Police, the Government received an offer of co-operation with the police here." The meeting is crucial because it paved the way for Mrs May to request the assistance of the Yard. However, the Sunday Express can disclose that Britain does not have an ambassador working in Portugal after Alexander Ellis was transferred at the end of last year. In January, the Foreign Office announced that Joanna Kuenssberg O'Sullivan had taken over as Charge d'Affaires until a new ambassador was appointed. The following month it was announced that Jill Gallard had been appointed Ambassador to Portugal, but she will not take up her post until July. Home Office officials were unable to explain whether it was Mr Ellis who had met with the Portuguese police, and if so when this took place. "We are unable to check this sort of detail on a weekend," said a Home Office official. "We don't want to get drawn into who met who and when."

By playing to the gallery, David Cameron's selling himself short, 16 May 2011

By playing to the gallery, David Cameron's selling himself short Daily Mail By MELANIE PHILLIPS Last updated at 2:09 AM on 16th May 2011 When David Cameron became leader  of the Conservative Party, there were high hopes that he would end the obsessive preoccupation with image and positioning which so debased political life under the Labour government. How disappointing, therefore, to find the Cameron knee tends to jerk opportunistically in response to media coverage, and to an extent that would have put even Labour's spin-doctors to shame. In recent days, examples of this regrettable tendency have been coming thick and fast. The most egregious — so much so that it drew sharp protest — was the way in which the Prime Minister leapt on board the Madeleine McCann bandwagon. Last week, Kate McCann published an emotional book about her daughter. Madeleine's disappearance from the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz four years ago. Apparently she hoped it would put pressure on the Government to order a full review of the case. Announcing that she and her husband Gerry had written to David Cameron with such a request, Mrs McCann said: 'I think when you're in a position such as the Prime Minister, you have a responsibility.' And her husband said Mr Cameron should offer the Portuguese prime minister the services of the Metropolitan Police in such a review. Lo and behold, the very next day the Home Office announced that the Met would now 'bring its particular expertise' to the investigation. What did that mean precisely? No one could explain. But what was immediately clear was the deep irritation of the Met at being asked to provide scarce manpower — at a likely cost of some millions of pounds — to revive an investigation by a foreign police force which appears to have been fatally flawed from the start and which may therefore be beyond rescue. Of course, the McCanns deserve tremendous sympathy over their appalling plight. And people may well admire the focused, resolute manner in which they have managed to revive interest in their case and keep alive the hope of finding their missing child. But that does not mean the Prime Minister should have responded to their campaign by asking British police to get involved. Let's hope the Met's involvement does indeed produce a breakthrough in this distressing case. However, it is most likely that it will not. Moreover, as two peers who are also members of police watchdogs pointed out, by making this request to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner — which placed him in a most difficult position — the Prime Minister has bust wide open the constitutional protection that gives the police operational independence from political interference. These considerations appear to have been cavalierly tossed aside simply to play to the gallery of public sentiment. (article continues on education issues)

Madeleine:  British police did not request reopening of the case to the Portuguese authorities, 16 May 2011

Madeleine: British police did not request reopening of the case to the Portuguese authorities SIC/Lusa 16.05.2011 18:51 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation London, 16 May (Lusa) - The British police will assist in the search for Madeleine McCann, who disappeared in 2007, but, so far they have not requested the collaboration nor the reopening of the process to the Portuguese authorities. In a reply that was sent to Lusa news agency today, the Prosecutor General's Office states that up to now, "neither the Prosecutor General's Office nor the prosecutors that are responsible for the case have received any request or application, neither for cooperation, nor for the reopening of the process". Last week, the British Home Office informed that the police will help in the search for Madeleine McCann, following a request from the parents for the investigation process to be reviewed. The British government stressed that "Madeleine's safe return" remains a primary concern, so that the British security forces continued to follow leads and pass information to Portuguese police. The announcement came the same day that Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, renewed their request for an "independent, transparent and full review" of the investigation process. The couple wants all the information that was gathered by the Portuguese and British police to be analysed, in order to find important data for the search. Meanwhile, and once again, the Public Ministry reminded that the case can be reopened if and when "there are credible and relevant facts, as determined by law". However, advances the reply, "until now, no facts have emerged to allow the reopening of the case." Madeleine McCann disappeared a few days before making four years, in May 3, 2007, from the room where she slept with two her twin younger siblings in an apartment in a tourist resort in Praia da Luz, Algarve. The parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were having dinner at that time with a group of English friends in a restaurant about 50 meters from the apartment. The child's mother, Kate, and father, Gerry McCann, were constituted as arguidos by the Portuguese authorities in July 2007. On July 21, 2008, the Prosecutor General's Office announced the archival of the suspicions against the couple and a third suspect, Robert Murat, which dictated the end of the investigation.

How could the PM say no to Maddie search?, 17 May 2011

How could the PM say no to Maddie search? News & Star Anne Pickles Last updated at 13:05, Tuesday, 17 May 2011 The haunted, tortured expression on Kate McCann's face has never altered in the four long years since her Madeleine disappeared. It's an expression that gives no hint of hope, one that offers no suggestion of mourning. It is the face of a woman incomplete. It's the empty, desperate, silently screaming look of a tormented mother torn from her baby. Four years. Such a very long time of cruel separation. Any period of enforced distancing from their young children can feel interminable to loving parents. But Kate and Gerry McCann have specific reasons for feeling the pain of loss so keenly. They have no idea – beyond the horror they imagine – what has happened to their little girl. Kate McCann wears her suffering like a death mask. On it is painted guilt, terror, the chronically anguishing imaginings of her Maddie's fate. And deep, deep loss. The McCanns have never abandoned their belief that one day Maddie will be home with them again. They can't allow themselves to lose that. It sustains them, facilitates their breathing, their ability to be parents to their six-year-old twins Sean and Amelie. And now their continued pleadings have persuaded David Cameron to agree to have Scotland Yard take a fresh look at the evidence in the case of missing Madeleine McCann. The move comes after Kate and Gerry made an impassioned appeal for the Prime Minister to help them revive the search for their daughter, who vanished in Portugal in 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday. Mr Cameron sent a letter to the McCanns promising action. "Your ordeal is every parent's worst nightmare and my heart goes out to you both," he wrote. "I simply cannot imagine the pain you must have experienced over these four agonising years, and the strength and determination you have both shown throughout is remarkable. "That you have been so courageous over all this time, and have not given up, speaks volumes." Remarkable is the least they have been. Their survival of an unimaginable ordeal defies all known vocabulary. How could the PM have dismissed their cries for help or turned his back on their unashamed pleadings? How could anyone? There, of course is the rub. Though Scotland Yard's involvement in the revived search for little Maddie McCann must surely be a step in the right direction, an improvement on what has gone before, it can't really be expected to bring Maddie's abductors to justice and return her to her family. The harsh truth is that, after all this time, it's unlikely there'll be a dramatic breakthrough anytime soon. But even so, who in all conscience could close the book on little Maddie? The McCanns have been to hell and back several times since that fateful family holiday in Portugal. It had started with so much happiness and without a care in the world. Then everything changed. Kate and Gerry left their children in bed, asleep, alone and unsupervised in their holiday apartment, while they dined out at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends. They took turns to check on the kids every half hour. It should have been enough. It's the kind of risk most parents have taken at some time – having a quiet drink in the garden as the children sleep upstairs. It happens. Most often without event. But for Kate and Gerry McCann the events that followed were unspeakably awful and have grown more grindingly unbearable with every passing day. They have had to suffer criticism, outrage, scorn, disbelief and worse since their daughter went missing – believed carried away by a kidnapper in the night. At more than one point in the past four years, I have been among those convinced they had invited trouble by leaving the children without a babysitter and that the hysteria, the bitter criticism of Portuguese police which followed, had been a reaction to their guilt. It still seems true to me that children left alone – particularly in a foreign tourist resort – are at unacceptably high risk. It still seems etched on Kate McCann's now permanently pained face that she believes that to be true too. The 43-year-old GP says she wakes every morning thinking this might be the day her daughter is found. She must have more "if only I'd done things differently" moments than she can count, through all the waking moments of her anguished days. But behind the haunted expression on that facial mask which holds everything together, there is still a reluctance to allow personal guilt to override the more urgent business of finding Madeleine. Life throws up all kinds of hard lessons, very many tough and agonising traps into which we could fall at any time. If we are very lucky we learn from other people's mistakes. If we are less fortunate we have to learn from our own. Lost causes learn nothing at all. Kate and Gerry McCann have been the tragic unfortunates to teach parents everywhere that their children need every last moment of attention, every ounce of cosseting love and round-the-clock, inconvenient care. They learned just minutes too late that the tiniest of risks can have the most awful consequences – the kind that live on and on. Now they need all the help that can be raised to drag these poor people back into the land of the living from their personal hell. It's bad enough that any parents should survive their child. But that parents should have to live through long, empty, aching years never knowing whether their child is dead or alive, happy without them or abused and terrified, is too agonising to contemplate. And that, I guess, is why when they came to him for help, David Cameron – without any balking from his adversaries across the Commons – simply couldn't say no to a tortured mum and dad fighting tooth and nail for the return of their missing baby. Not a single soul could have done any different.

Madeleine McCann 'could be found alive' says Britain's most senior police officer, 17 May 2011

Madeleine McCann 'could be found alive' says Britain's most senior police officer Daily Mail By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Last updated at 5:15 PM on 17th May 2011 Madeleine McCann could be found alive, Britain's most senior police officer has said. Sir Paul Stephenson said it was right for Scotland Yard to agree to Home Secretary Theresa May's request for help and said there was 'always a chance' that the child could be found alive. His comments come after the decision to involve the Metropolitan Police was described as a 'ludicrous' move that would use up valuable police resources and deny other victims of crime the chance of justice. But the Commissioner told the capital's LBC radio it was not unique for the Met to lend its expertise in difficult cases outside of its normal jurisdiction. He referred to the team who were sent to Antigua in 2008 to help investigate the murders of British honeymooners Ben and Catherine Mullany. Two years ago, Scotland Yard was also asked to help Jersey police investigate the disappearance of two people who had been missing since the 1980s with the result of one of them being found alive. 'There is always a chance,' he said. 'When you receive a request, supported by the Prime Minister, from the Home Secretary, you take that very seriously. This is not unique. On balance, I think it was the right thing to do. 'We do review these sort of cases and I think there may be some benefit here.' But the review, which will be funded by the Home Office, has already sparked fierce criticism amid suggestions the intervention could undermine the independence of the force. Last week, Lord Harris, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), said: 'Whilst no one doubts the desirability of doing what can sensibly be done to find out what has happened to Madeleine McCann, I can imagine that the senior leadership of the Metropolitan Police are not exactly happy about this. 'It again embroils their officers in a high-profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters.' Fellow MPA member Jenny Jones told the Mail on Sunday: 'It is ludicrous. This could take years and will cost millions. It is very unusual for police to step in like this and it is not an appropriate use of police resources. 'Although it is tragic and I feel for the McCanns, how can the Prime Minister justify spending millions of pounds on one case?' Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have welcomed the move. Their daughter went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday. Portuguese police, helped by officers from Leicestershire Police, carried out a massive investigation into her disappearance but the official inquiry was formally shelved in July 2008. Since then no police force has been actively looking for the child. The review will be led by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command.

Madeleine McCann: 30 Metropolitan Police detectives to search for missing girl, 18 May 2011

Madeleine McCann: 30 Metropolitan Police detectives to search for missing girl The Telegraph A team of 30 detectives from Scotland Yard will be assigned to the search for missing Madeleine McCann in an investigation which could cost millions of pounds, The Daily Telegraph has learnt. Kate McCann holding her missing daughter, Madeleine's favourite toy, Cuddle Cat. By Tim Ross 7:30AM BST 18 May 2011 Some of the team will be officers who were due to retire or take voluntary redundancy, a police source said. The details came as Sir Paul Stephenson, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, defended Scotland Yard's decision to take up the case, insisting that Madeleine could still be found alive. She went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday. Portuguese police, helped by officers from Leicestershire Police, carried out an extensive investigation into her disappearance but the official inquiry was formally suspended in July 2008. Since then no police force has been actively looking for the child. But last week, it was announced that Scotland Yard would reopen the search, a move that led to criticism that officers' valuable time would be diverted away from other cases. A police source said that the team of 30 Scotland Yard officers would in part be drawn from those who were due to leave the force through redundancy or retirement. One of the major difficulties — and expenses — that detectives will face is that much of the material in the investigation will require translation from Portuguese, the source said. However, the commissioner insisted "there is always a chance" his detectives would find Madeleine alive. "When you receive a request, supported by the Prime Minister, from the Home Secretary, you take that very seriously," he told LBC radio. "This is not unique. On balance, I think it was the right thing to do. "We do review these sort of cases and I think there may be some benefit here." The review, which will be funded by the Home Office, has already been described as "ludicrous" and prompted claims that the intervention could undermine the independence of the force. Last week, Lord Harris, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: "Whilst no one doubts the desirability of doing what can sensibly be done to find out what has happened to Madeleine McCann, I can imagine that the senior leadership of the Metropolitan Police are not exactly happy about this. "It again embroils their officers in a high-profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters." Scotland Yard will review the Portuguese police files on the case. The review will be led by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command. The announcement of the Met's involvement followed criticism of David Cameron from Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, who said the Prime Minister had shown insufficient commitment to children. The official Portuguese inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance was formally suspended in July 2008, although private detectives employed by the McCanns continued the search. Mr Cameron personally wrote to the McCanns to confirm the reopening of the investigation. The couple have welcomed the move as "a step in the right direction".

Scotland Yard investigates the work of the PJ, 20 May 2011

Scotland Yard investigates the work of the PJ Diário de Notícias (paper edition) Maddie: Archived process is going to be translated to be read by 30 British officers at the orders of David Cameron by Luís Pontes 20 May 2011 Thanks to Joana Morais for translation A team of 30 investigators from Scotland Yard will begin to analyse the whole process of the Portuguese Judiciary Police investigation in relation to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, on May 3, 2007 in Praia da Luz, Algarve. "The investigation team consists of senior officers. They are very experienced and will review all the steps taken by the Portuguese and English authorities," explained a source from Scotland Yard's press office to DN. In the first phase, the work intends to dissect all the investigation done on the field, the statements collected by the Judiciary Police officers and the forensic evidence that was analysed in Portugal and in the United Kingdom. According to a police source, they will also request the full translation of all the Portuguese documentation. In a second phase, Scotland Yard might send their officers to Portugal. "For that to happen an authorization from the Portuguese authorities will be requested," said the British police source. The deputy director of the PJ, Pedro do Carmo, confirmed to DN that he had direct knowledge, of the two times, of the interest of British authorities to re-evaluate the investigation that was done in Portugal. "We were contacted by the liaison officer from the British Embassy in Lisbon and then we had a contact made by the Scotland Yard," said Pedro do Carmo to DN. According to the deputy director, the British authorities did not make any additional requests. "The process is public and can be accessed by anyone," explains Pedro do Carmo. "The process is formally archived, nevertheless the Judiciary Police still pays attention to consistent and credible information that may arise. We are open to all collaborations. We maintain an excellent relationship with the Scotland Yard. They will have our full support," stresses the Judiciary Police deputy director. The reopening of the criminal process belongs to the Public Ministry tutelage and depends on any new fact considered as relevant. The British authorities have not added anything to the process and, as such, as DN found, there is no request to reopen the case in the Prosecutor General's Office. The request to re-evaluate the investigation was prompted by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron. "I can confirm that information and therefore we have the best investigators on the case who will work exclusively on it," stated a source from the Scotland Yard. The review will involve thirty investigators and does not gather consensus even amongst the British police. "The investigation will take years and millions of pound will be spent," said Jenny Jones, from the Metropolitan Police Authority to the Metro newspaper. "There are hundreds of unsolved cases that don't have this kind of support and the resources that are going to be diverted are necessary," she stated. The new investigation ordered by David Cameron emerged a week later, after the McCann couple, who are committed on the launch of the book 'Madeleine', sent a letter to the Prime Minister asking for a review of the case. "We want an independent, transparent and full review," asked then Kate and Gerry McCann. Before making public his decision, David Cameron informed the McCanns, through a letter, of his request made to the Home Office (the body which oversees Scotland Yard) The investigation will be lead by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood. This homicide investigator has chosen experienced investigators for his team who are close to the end of their careers. The new team will also meticulously analyse, besides the work of the Portuguese, the performance of its own agents who were in Portugal between May 2007 and July 2008. According to a report published last year, in April, by the newspaper 'The Mirror', the British Home Office spent more than half a million euros on the Maddie case. Just in air travels, during the 709 days that Scotland Yard were in Portugal, 25,325 euros were spent. Each of the 126 low-cost trips costed an average of 129.20 euros to the British taxpayers.

Madeleine Police chief: We need new lead, 22 May 2011

Madeleine Police chief: We need new lead Sunday Express By Marco Giannangeli Sunday May 22,2011 THE hunt for Madeleine McCann will fail unless police uncover a fresh clue, Europe’s top policeman has said. Europol director Rob Wainwright revealed he was contacted by Home Secretary Theresa May after the Prime Minister announced that the case should be reviewed. He said: "She asked for my advice about in what way we could move the case along again. "We all know how difficult it is. We picked up one or two leads in the past – nothing substantial. "The Portuguese authorities have done as much as they think they can. Their position is that if there is credible new intelligence, they'll open the case immediately." David Cameron last week ordered the Metropolitan Police to review all the evidence following a plea by Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry. One credible theory is that Madeleine was kidnapped and sold to a child sex ring. Mr Wainwright said: "We don't know what's happened to Madeleine McCann. We can only surmise it might involve a child sex network. If it does, we have a lot of experience and intelligence at our disposal and we are ready to help."

'No limit' to Met's Madeleine probe, 24 May 2011

'No limit' to Met's Madeleine probe Daily Mirror 24/05/2011 Scotland Yard is putting no limits on its review of the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance, Britain's top policeman has said. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said his force's re-examination of the case would be a "significant piece of work" that could produce recommendations about new lines of inquiry. Critics claim the decision to bring in Met detectives to review the evidence about what happened to the little girl has undermined the force's independence and diverted resources from other crime victims. But Sir Paul said it was "the right thing to do" and pledged that Scotland Yard would carry out a thorough appraisal of the original investigation into Madeleine's disappearance in Portugal more than four years ago. "We are not putting any limits on it at this moment in time," he said. "We have no timescales yet because we haven't produced the scoping. It will be a significant piece of work." No Metropolitan Police officers have travelled to Portugal so far but they are in talks with the Portuguese authorities. Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007 as her parents Kate and Gerry dined with friends nearby. Portuguese detectives, helped by officers from Leicestershire Police, carried out a massive investigation into her disappearance. But the official inquiry was formally shelved in July 2008 and since then no police force has been actively looking for the missing child. Scotland Yard's review of the case, which will be funded by the Home Office, was launched earlier this month after a request from Home Secretary Theresa May supported by Prime Minister David Cameron. It is being led by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood of the Met's Homicide and Serious Crime Command. Sir Paul said the final report would not be published.

Cameron-McCann: Dixon Family Seeks Equal Treatment, 24 May 2011

Cameron-McCann: Dixon Family Seeks Equal Treatment Yahoo Finance The family of missing British journalist Michael Dixon has written to Prime Minister David Cameron to appeal for help, following his intervention in the Madeleine McCann case. PR Newswire Press Release Source: David Dixon On Tuesday May 24, 2011, 8:13 am EDT LONDON, May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael's brother, David Dixon, said: "It's great news for all families of Britons missing abroad that David Cameron and the Met are helping the McCanns. Now we're asking them to do the same for us." The Dixon family's letter to Prime Minister Cameron says: "We need political action to break the wall of apathy ... Michael has not become famous like Madeleine, but he is no less important and our pain is no less sharp." The Dixon family is asking for the PM's intervention to make sure the Metropolitan Police Authority reviews the case files and sends a mission to Costa Rica. The British authorities have admitted there is a problem with red tape. Minister of state Jeremy Browne said in a letter on 12 May : "The Costa Rican police invited the UK police to discuss the case via a teleconference, but this offer was turned down." Michael Dixon vanished after leaving his hotel room in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, on 18 October 2009. ------------------ Appeal Letter to David Cameron - 24 May 2011 Help Find Michael Dixon Submitted by David Dixon on Tue, 2011-05-24 07:38 London, 23 May 2011 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA Dear Prime Minister, Ten days ago you responded to a cry for help from the family of Madeleine McCann by personally making sure the British police does all it can to find her. We applaud your decision - it is a breakthrough for all families of missing Britons abroad. And we appeal for your help in finding Michael Dixon, our loved one, a young British journalist missing in Costa Rica. We need you to make sure that the British police has full clearance to take part in the case, that it carries out a thorough review of all the evidence found so far and that it sends a mission to Costa Rica to follow-up on vital leads which still exist. As minister of state Jeremy Browne confirmed to us in his letter of 12 May 2011: "The Costa Rican police invited the UK police to discuss the case via a teleconference, but this offer was turned down." For 18 months we have struggled alone to find out what happened. We need political action to break the wall of apathy. Prime Minister - what you did for the McCanns shows you care about ordinary British people. Michael has not become famous like Madeleine, but he is no less important because of that and our pain is no less sharp. Let down by everybody else, we turn to you. Lynn, Hubert and David Dixon

Judiciary irritated at British government, 24 May 2011

Judiciary irritated at British government O Diabo (paper edition) 24/05/2011 Thanks to Astro for translation The English decision to reopen the Maddie case is generating controversy and ill feeling within the Portuguese Judiciary Police (PJ), even with officers that recall that "the English are not better than the Portuguese". The English Prime Minister, David Cameron, decided to have the investigation into the Maddie case reopened, but PJ officers point out that "the English need authorization from the Portuguese authorities to investigate in our country, because they do not have competence to act in Portugal". Some high-ranking officers of the British police have equally criticized this decision, arguing that the money that is to be spent is more necessary for other cases. This situation has even been criticized by Lord Harris, a member of the Metropolitan Police, who peremptorily states: "It again embroils their officers in a high-profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters." In fact, some 30 English detectives and many million pounds will be involved in the reopening of the investigation into the case of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, in 2007, in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve. The English decision was made after the child's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, sent a letter to the English Prime Minister, David Cameron, in which they asked for a review of the case. According to members of the PJ that were contacted by O Diabo, the reopening of this case questions "the professionalism of our officers, who did everything that was possible to solve the child's disappearance", recalling that the English policemen are not better than our own. Our sources recall that, despite "us having good criminal investigation labs", a political decision was made to have the tests carried out in English labs, launching the suspicion over whether or not they were manipulated. "We let the English do everything that they wanted", they say, recalling that this case "suffered various political influences, due to the missing child's parents' social and political status". The officers that were contacted by O Diabo recognize that "some mistakes were made in the investigation, namely inside the apartment", but they recall, in defence of their honour, that there are many identical cases that remain unsolved in England. The Judiciary Police – they reveal – had already been warned that Scotland Yard had the intention to analyse the case again. This does not mean, however, that the criminal process, which is under the Public Ministry's tutelage, will be reopened. This process may be picked up again if new facts that contribute to the investigation's development are discovered. PJ Available Contrary to the general feelings within the PJ, Pedro do Carmo, joint national director at the Judiciary Police, cited by "I" newspaper, states that the PJ is available to cooperate in this case, and committed to finding out the "credible, consistent and relevant factors that may contribute to clarify what happened to Madeleine McCann". Meanwhile, British newspaper "The Telegraph" reports that some of the officers that are involved in the investigation into the disappearance of Maddie McCann, four years ago in Praia da Luz, are close to retirement or about to present a voluntary leave, stressing that the English investigators will face major difficulties, because the documents are nearly all in Portuguese. When the little girl disappeared, on the 3rd of May, 2007, Leicestershire police helped the Portuguese police in the investigation, but in July 2008, the case was archived. Until last week, precisely when Maddie's mother, Kate McCann, published a book, the Scotland Yard decided to restart the investigation, after the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, intervened. In her recently published book, Kate McCann, with the purpose to collect money for the "find Madeleine" fund, harshly criticises the Portuguese police system. Kate mentions the slowness that followed the first hours of Maddie's disappearance, and the proposal that was made by the PJ, for the child's mother to confess to concealing her daughter's body, after her death, which was caused by an accident in the apartment in Praia da Luz. She says that this offer was an attempt by the Judiciary Police to make the sentence more benevolent. In her book, Kate also tells about her suffering and the depression after her daughter's disappearance, about her suicidal tendencies and the problems that she experienced in her marriage to Gerry. The book was launched yesterday (May 23rd) in Lisbon, edited in Portugal by Edições Asa, from the Leya group, and by Transworld Publishers in the United Kingdom.