WITH THANKS TO JJP FOR TRANSCRIPT

Link to full article UTV-03-11-10

Darshna Soni You are calling for a review of the investigation. Explain to us why.

Gerry McCann I think the first thing to tell the general public is that the authorities haven't been doing anything proactive in the search for Madeleine for well over two years now and we think it is fundamental for any major incident that a case review is undertaken to look at all the avenues that could be explored that might lead to new information coming into the enquiry.

DS You say that they have been doing nothing proactive. What have they been doing for the last two and a half years' People might be surprised to hear that.

GM Well'

Kate McCann Well I think if information comes in, certainly to the British authorities, if they are able to they will have a look at it and if they feel its necessary they will send it over to Portugal.  But they are actually waiting for information to come in rather than trying to bring information in that could find her.

DS Do you think it makes it difficult for them, though, because you have got your own private investigators looking for your daughter' Does that make your relationship with the police difficult'

GM It shouldn't.  I mean its not competition. They should be working together if anything. The fact if there wasn't private investigators there would be absolutely no-one looking for this so I don't see why' Its not a threat. We don't have the resources. They don't have statutory powers. There's a lot more the authorities can do. We do have people, though, on the end of a phone line, looking at emails, interviewing witnesses and generally following up new lines of enquiry and they've passed a number of those on to the authorities.  But, you know, this is an unsolved serious case and particularly given the profile we think that a full case review should be undertaken and that has to be collaborative with the Portuguese authorities.

DS Leicestershire Police have said to us that they haven't shelved the investigation because it was never their investigation to shelve because it was being led by the Portuguese. What more would you expect Leicestershire Police to do'

KM I mean I think it is important to say although Portugal has primacy with regards to the investigation it doesn't mean that there isn't things the British authorities can do. And certainly a review is one of the crucial, significant things that they can take part in.

GM I mean I think what we are asking for today is for the governments to do more. Leicestershire have, you know, largely played their part and they have done that to the best of their ability. But this needs to be done at higher level. It needs to be done between the governments and there has to be an agreement and err' parameters set in terms of the review, how it is going to be done and what it leads to. And the last Home Secretary, Alan Johnston, ordered a scoping exercise that was undertaken by CEOP and as far as we can see, after six months nothing has been done with that scoping exercise and we just don't think that's acceptable.

DS So the previous Home Secretary looked into the feasibility of having a review. Has there been a change in the attitude of the new government now that we have a change of government.

GM Well it is difficult to know because we are not getting any metrics to measure what the government are doing against so there's no time lines, there's no deliverables and time's just ticking on. We were told that we would be told the contents of that report. We haven't seen it. We haven't been told.  And really although the government say there are sensitivities, we fully understand that but they should be doing more and they are, should be responsible for ensuring that Madeleine gets the best investigation possible.

KM We are not aware of any progress since the CEOP report was handed in to the government at the end of March. And even allowing for a change of government in the last six months we're not aware of anything that has carried on from that report being given in.

DS When you met with Theresa May, the new Home Secretary, what promises did she give you'  Did she tell you what was in that scoping report'

KM Well, I think that's just it. There weren't any promises. In fact she said, 'I don't want to make any commitments'. But, basically, what we need to know is what are they doing, what are they going to do with that report, have they read the report'

DS Do you think she had even read it'

KM Well she hadn't when we met her. She said that which was a bit disappointing. Hopefully now she has but we need to know where are we going now because we truly believe its going to help the search for Madeleine. We know its not easy but it doesn't mean its not possible.

DS I just wanted to ask you. You've chosen to do the interviews now three and a half years on. People will be wondering how on earth you keep going and how you keep this story in the news after such a long time.

GM Well we don't '(Slight laugh') Although we offered to do things like this really I think it is a reflection that the public  are very interested and'

KM I think the public care about Madeleine and that's why its still a story for want of a better word.  Which is great because without the public support I don't know where we'd be, erm'

GM I think that's crucial, you know. The government won't do anything without pressure and its the public.  The government are accountable to the public who elected them and that's what we're asking for is the public to ask our government to do more and to work with the Portuguese government as well and we should be putting pressure on both of them to solve this. We can't stop doing what we do. We need to find Madeleine. We are living a life that's somewhat in limbo between our previous life which was very, very happy and somewhere now where we've got a different life but without Madeleine in it. And we can't really get off that treadmill until we find her or at the very least what's happened to her.

DS And how do you keep going' How do you keep hoping'  There must be days when it is very, very difficult.

KM Well we've worked so hard. I mean, understandably, we're Madeleine's parents and we are going to do everything that we can and we work really hard. And there are days when it feels that obstacle after obstacle is thrown in your way and obviously the clock keeps ticking, the calendar keeps turning. And there's days that we just look at each other and think 'God I wish it was all over', you know erm. But basically we wish Madeleine was back with us. Full stop.

GM You know, '

KM You know, but we can't stop while we are in this situation we just have to keep going. It doesn't matter how tiring it is. It doesn't matter how many blocks are put in our way. We have to keep going because a little girl is still out there missing. You know this is not solved this case. She's still missing and there's an abductor out there, there's a criminal out there who is free to do this over and over again if we let him. You know, so that's another reason why the governments and the authorities should be doing more.

GM I was just going to say one of the simplest things is Sean and Amelie's attitude because they talk about Madeleine all the time and when we are having one of those days when you just want to opt to go away and you are exhausted and they just say, 'When Madeleine comes home' and there's no reason why she can't come home that we know of and its happened for other children and they know how hard we are working and they want Madeleine home as well and that really does give us renewed energy and vigour to carry on what we are doing.

KM In Sean and Amelie's words, 'Madeleine's missing. We need to find her.' And its quite simple when you put it like that, you know.

DS So you still believe that your daughter is alive and out there somewhere'

KM Certainly, we know there's a good chance that she's still alive. I mean at the minute she's just missing, you know. I mean, so you have to assume she's alive cos there's nothing to say otherwise. There's many cases, as you know, that have hit the media of children and many cases that haven't hit the media of children who've been found years down the line so you just have to keep going.

GM I mean you could imagine if we just gave up and years down the line we found her. There's no justification for giving up.

DS And so you will keep on searching for as long as it takes.

GM Yeah. And we can't stop. I don't think any parent could stop.

KM I don't think you could live comfortably. I just don't think physically that you could, or mentally you could actually reach that decision, you know.

DS When you mentioned the public support and how important it is to you. How do you feel about the fact that there are still people who feel that you had something to do with it and there are web sites set up to (''''''''')' It must be quite hurtful still after all this time.

CHANNEL 4 INTERVIEW with the McCanns (Part 2 of 2

Link to full article UTV-03-11-10

DS So are you still quite hurt by some of the things you read'

KM Well a lot of the rubbish I don't read, to be honest.  Because, as Gerry said, you have to question the motives of people like that. People who want to insist on something without evidence. People who want to bring, you know, more pain and suffering to a family who are already vulnerable, who are already suffering. You really have to question those people and I don't value their opinion because, you know, I wouldn't behave like that so, you know, you can't be, you know, detracted, distracted from what is important which is Madeleine by people like that. The majority of people are good people. They're the quiet majority and I strongly believe they are the ones who want to find Madeleine.

DS And you are appealing for more funds. What happened to the money that you had previously' There's around, I understand, '350,000 left. What happened to the previous money that was donated'

GM OK. I think the first thing to say is that the priority today is very much about asking the public to help us with the petition to get the government to do more.  We have been fortunate, although its not helped us get where we want, by having a fund. And the fund was set up in response to people offering money and it was set up properly and the fund is very accountable and it has independent auditors and we have a fund administrator who's got lots of experience. The vast amount of. The vast majority of the money in the fund has been spent directly on search fees. Its obviously supported other things, awareness campaigns, we have a part-time co-ordinator now. We have media liaison to deal with things like this here and in Portugal in trying to get our messages across, but the most of the money, the vast majority of it has been spent'

KM we've had to fund an investigation for two years now which as you can imagine with several more than that personnel, it costs money'

GM Staff, expenses, interviewing.  We run a 24hr help line which is available. We run a web site. That costs money, updating it. Communications. You know, all of these things do add up and without having the fund there wouldn't be a meaningful search today.

DS You've also spent money on your own investigators as you've said. There have been reports that some of these detectives have taken money but then not delivered. They are dodgy detectives if you like. How can you reassure people that money won't be spent on people like that in the future.

GM  Well we've very much had for the last two and a bit years, we've had Dave Edgar who is a very experienced detective who was near retirement. He's been working with us. He's very much accountable for the spend. He feels he can justify every penny. But at the same time I hope the public realise as well as directors of the fund in particular when we were arguido and there was no search going on that it was incumbent upon us to continue a search in very, very difficult circumstances. So we have made decisions along the way which have always, we felt, been in the best interest of the search to find Madeleine and we are very accountable. All the expenses are there err, receipts and we've got quite a tight-knit team working on this but we need them. Without it there would be no-one there to go and interview people and follow up leads.

DS What about the, some people might say, the judgement of the trustees is sometimes questionable because you have had people like Halligen who is now facing extradition'

GM Well, you know, we are doing the best in very, very difficult circumstances. I think that's key. We always take advice, due diligence is done, references are sought and, you know, the fund is accountable and  as directors we are responsible for making those decisions.

DS There are also reports that you have fallen out with some of the trustees, with your brother and your boss who have resigned'

GM That's nonsense. That's absolute nonsense. Why do you say we have fallen out' I mean the fund has changed over three years, three and a half years. Its very different, ermm, initially we weren't on the board because we were based in Portugal'

KM Nobody thought, you know, three and a half years ago that we would be in this situation today. Its a big commitment, you know, and things have changed. We've got different phases in the last three and a half years so inevitably there's going to be changes.

DS So its not that you've had differences over the way the money was spent or''

GM No, not at all.

KM Absolutely not.

GM  In fact any of the changes we have made recently are to make the fund more efficient and more responsive. Kate and I always feel, you know, there's still an urgency. It doesn't get easier and we don't need a large board as such. We are trying to run the fund like a small business in many ways so that its focused and the directors by and large are hands on and responsible for certain areas. Kate and I are integral to all the parts of it. We've got legal advice. We've got specialist media liaison etc. We've got a retired accountant, and, you know we've got Kate's uncle who is there and is a good governance sort of person. So all of these are taken on board and we've got a very experienced fund administrator as well.

KM Have you talked about the petition'

DS Yeah, I was just going to ask you about that. So, I mean, you have mentioned the petition already. Just how many signatures are you hoping to collect' What are you asking people to sign for' What is the point of the petition'

GM Well the whole point is to call on the governments, both the UK and the Portuguese government to do more in the search for Madeleine and the first thing we feel that's fundamental is that they undertake a complete review of the case preferably it should be independent and we want transparency as well and we are asking the public to help us in that regard.

DS In terms of, you only have '350,000 left now, how can you, how long do you worry that you can keep going (if you dont get donations'''')'

GM Well we are always as directors of the fund, we are always looking at that because one of.., the remit is for us to fulfil the objectives of the fund and the fund is to try and find Madeleine and bring those responsible to justice so there's always an agenda item about finances and we need to look at that. We've done other fund raisers in the past and we'll keep looking at that. We've been very fortunate from the point of view of having so many of the public make donations and a large part of the money we've spent, as you know, has come from libel damages which were paid into the fund. So we'll continue to explore it. We certainly need to be looking at income generation over the next months.

DS There must be huge pressure on you knowing you've always got to look ('''''''').

GM Well, I mean, we'd love nothing more to find Madeleine. And then we wouldn't have to worry about that. You're absolutely right. Our focus is on the search for Madeleine and without the authorities conducting that then the onus is on us and we don't think that's right. The onus should be on the governments to do more. We'd love to give that pressure away. You're right.

DS And you mention the money from the trials. How do you feel now that Amaral's book is going to be on the shelves here'

GM Yeah, so.  Well, you know, we've already alluded to it. Anyone who wants to convince people that Madeleine is dead without evidence to support it then will just have to be questioned.  But today the focus is on asking the public to help us petition the governments to do more.

DS Do you feel that you should be chasing libel actions'  Some people might say why don't you just leave libel stuff to one side' Why try and silence your critics'

KM Well obviously we've talked about this in great detail previously. The reason why we had to take actiion was because we strongly felt it was damaging the search to find Madeleine and as Gerry has just said, that is our ultimate goal, is to find Madeleine.

DS I just wonder, can you update people' Where are you now' I mean recently you went over to Germany. You translated all your literature into German. So can you update people' Where are you now' Have you got any new leads'  What's happening (''''''')'

GM I would like to say to you that we did have some hot leads but the very fact that we are calling for a complete review to identify further areas for investigation is telling you that, you know, more needs to be done. All the information needs to be put onto one database because that may be the way that we find the key bit of information, the missing piece of the jigsaw.

DS So at the moment you are worried that there isn't even a central database so the information might not be getting cross referenced (''''')'

KM Yes, I mean there's information in lots of centres that hasn't been brought together and there could be two key bits of information that individually don't seem key but put together could give you some valuable information that could take you one step closer to finding Madeleine so it just seems an obvious and crucial thing to do. And this is why reviews are done time and time again in this country on major investigations.

DS So you must be frustrated that the government has carried out a scoping into whether there should be a review and no action has been taken'

GM Yeah, I mean that's what we're asking for. We want to see what action. We want metrics. We want deliverables. And we want the government to do more. Madeleine is a British subject and the government should be doing more to look out for her interests.

DS And I was just wondering. How can people sign the petition'

GM Its on the ipetitions website. So its www.ipetitions.com then forward slash petitions but its quite a complex link.

DS We'll put it on our website.

GM Thank you.

ITV INTERVIEW WITH THE MCCANNS 

 Link to full article ITV-02-11-10

Presenter Three and a half years on, Kate and Gerry McCann refuse to give up hope of finding Madeleine alive but that's exactly what they think the authorities in Portugal and in Britain have done.

Kate McCann I do, if I'm honest I do.  And I expected more, and whether my expectations were higher than they should have been.  I don't believe so because we are British citizens and even opening Madeleine's passport on the front page it says that we will provide you with assistance and protection and I feel she could have a lot more.

Presenter The McCanns believe its two and a quarter years since either the Portuguese or British police did anything proactive to search for Madeleine.  They're sure there's information to be found and pieced together and are asking for a full case review.

Gerry McCann I want to make it absolutely clear we don't want to have a review to look over mistakes and saying apportion blame.  Its nothing to do with that. Its about identifying areas for further investigation.

Presenter The public is being asked to sign an online petition to lobby the two governments.  Kate and Gerry McCann say they have met three Home Secretaries but need more than worthless words now

Kate McCann Thoughts and words are not good enough, particularly when they are in a position that they can actually do something about it.

Gerry McCann For the authorities now, if Madeleine was found, it would almost be by chance, and it shouldn't be right that this crime is solved by another child being abducted.

Presenter The Find Madeleine Fund which pays for investigators and an internet campaign is due to run out of money next spring.  The McCanns say there are bad days when it is Madeleine's twin brother and sister who are now five who keep them going.

Kate McCann They're unbelievable. They really are amazing   Erm, and they still talk about when Madeleine comes home, you know.  How will they share the bedrooms'  Will the three of them be together, well you know'  What colour bedroom will we have, you know'  They keep us going and this would be so much harder, or unbearable in fact, if it wasn't for Sean and Amelie.

BBC INTERVIEW WITH THE MCCANNS

  Link to full article BBC-03-11-10

Kate McCann Yeah, Sean and Amelie are incredible really.  And, erm, it doesn't bear thinking about really how we'd be if it wasn't for Sean and Amelie.  Erm, they give us a focus, they give us hope, they bring us joy, you know.  And they are doing brilliantly, I mean, they've taken it all on board, they seem to handle it perfectly well, they're incredibly well adjusted.  Erm, and they talk about Madeleine even now, every day they'll talk about Madeleine.  You know she's in their role play.  You know, they'll spot Madeleine stickers and say 'That's my sister', you know, and'  They haven't forgotten her, you know.

Gerry McCann Yeah.

LIVERPOOL ECHO INTERVIEW WITH THE MCCANNS

Link to full article L ECHO-03-11-10

Beth Littler Three and a half years after she went missing, the parents of Madeleine McCann are again stepping up their search.  Kate and Gerry McCann are launching a petition asking the UK and Portuguese governments to do more.

Gerry McCann For the last two and a half years the authorities have not been doing anything proactive to find Madeleine.  That's been despite our best efforts to encourage them to do so and I don't think its right that the onus should fall on us.  The authorities really should be doing more.

Kate McCann I mean we had mentioned, obviously we've met several home secretaries and we met Alan Johnson previously and he actually commissioned the report, the scoping exercise to be carried out by CEOP basically to see if a review would be helpful to the search for Madeleine.  So we did actually feel we were making progress and that report was carried out and we haven't seen the results of it and it has actually been sitting with the government since March.  Now, admittedly, we've obviously had a change of government since then but its six months now and nothing has been done with the report.  We're not even sure if its been read yet.  It certainly hadn't been read in August we were told, so'

Gerry McCann I think its fundamental, you know, there hasn't been a formal case review and I think for such a serious case as this and particularly with the profile of it and the international aspects that that should be carried out and further inquiries should be determined as a result of the review.

Kate McCann I mean Madeleine is still missing.  She's a little girl. Her abductor is still out there so, potentially, you know by not carrying on with the investigation we are putting other children at risk.  Erm, I think more needs to be done.

Gerry McCann I think you're right.  What we actually asked at the last meeting was to have some metrics by which to judge progress and at the minute there's no time scale, there's no deliverables, and its really difficult to see what the governments are actually doing.

Beth Littler Madeleine disappeared from an apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3^rd 2007 just a few days before her fourth birthday.

SKY (M BRUNT) INTERVIEW WITH THE MCCANNS

 Link to full article SKY-03-11-10

Martin Brunt The McCanns say all they want is the Home Office to persuade the Portuguese authorities for a joint review of all the evidence.  They believe it would justify a new investigation into their daughter, Madeleine's, disappearance.  Why do you think that isn't being done'

Gerry McCann Right at the minute we don't know why it its not being done'

Kate McCann Its a good question isn't it'

Gerry McCann We've asked'

Kate McCann I mean, as you'd be aware reviews are done of all major investigations in this country anyway.  So they are obviously felt to be of benefit.  So you do have to ask the question, why then, what is the block in doing a review of Madeleine's situation'

Martin Brunt But when you asked the Home Secretary that, two months ago, what did she say'

Kate McCann Well we don't often get answers to be honest.  I mean there's a lot of words but nothing concrete.

Martin Brunt An independent report on the Madeleine case was commissioned by a previous Home Secretary.  The author, Jim Gamble of the Child Exploitation and online center delivered the report this summer to the new government and its believed he recommends a detailed review but the Home Office won't tell the McCanns what's in the CEOP report.

Gerry McCann I don't see any reason why the contents of that report should not be made available to us.  We've been very clear all along the way that we'll only divulge information if and when its valuable to the search and the government know that we have kept lots of information, erm, quiet.  So I don't see, even if there is sensitive elements within it, why we shouldn't be given it. As Madeleine's parents I think it is wrong.

Martin Brunt Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from the family's rented holiday apartment in Portugal in May 2007.  The Portuguese police abandoned their investigation fifteen months later without any evidence of what happened to Madeleine.  Today her parents are launching an online petition for support in their campaign for more government help.

Gerry McCann We are asking the people who elected the government to petition them to do more.  They are not doing anything proactive.  Madeleine's a British citizen.  She's innocent.  She's vulnerable and our government should be doing more to find her.

Martin Brunt Your hope, belief that Madeleine is still alive is as strong as ever'

Kate McCann Well the hope's definitely there. I mean it has to be, you know.  With nothing to the contrary, you know, Madeleine's still out there and alive, you know, and to give up on her, just, I mean I can't get my head round that really, how a government or authorities can do that.  We certainly can't give up on her.

Martin Brunt The McCanns say its scandalous that they and their small team of investigators are the only ones still looking for Madeleine.  Martin Brunt for Sky News in Leicestershire.

UTV NEWS NOV 3RD (1) ' MCCANNS

  Link to UTV article and comments ' UTV-3-11-10

Paul Clark Its half past ten on the third of November. You're watching UTV Live Tonight. Good evening and welcome to the programme. I'm Paul Clark and welcome to the programme.  She's been missing for more than three years and now the family of Madeleine McCann fear the search for their daughter could be nearing its end. A vigil is held for the pensioner who died after collapsing during a robbery at a shop in west Belfast.  A girl who died trying to save her family from a fire started deliberately by her father is rewarded for her bravery.  And as Barack Obama suffers a humiliating defeat in the mid-term elections. Has he become a lame duck President'

Madeleine McCann's abduction touched the hearts of millions of people throughout the world, not least in Donegal where she holidayed with her family just weeks before she vanished. But there's still no sign of Maddie. A private investigation launched by her parents is running out of cash, fast.  On top of that they fear the authorities have given up the hunt for their daughter. Sharon O'Neill reports.

Kate McCann If it wasn't for the kindness of the general public there wouldn't have been a search at all for Madeleine. Without Madeleine's fund there would have been no investigation at all in the last two years.

Gerry McCann If Madeleine was found it would almost be by chance and it shouldn't be right that this crime is solved by another child being abducted.

Sharon O'Neill Madeleine McCann is at her happiest here. Its the Easter holidays and she's is in Donegal, where her grandparents live, enjoying an ice cream with friends. But just weeks after this photograph was taken the three year old vanished, snatched from her parents' holiday apartment in the Algarve in a tragic story which has gripped the world.

GM I mean there are days when you feel like you can't go on and, you know, its a burden that you carry constantly but as Kate said, you know, its like a treadmill that you're on and you can't get off as parents. Even if you wanted to, you can't. And, I think you know, we will keep going till the end.

SO'N While Madeleine's parents will never give up hope, they fear those in power have.

KM I expected more and whether my expectations were higher than they should have been. I don't believe so because we are British citizens and even opening Madeleine's passport on the front page it says that we will provide you with assistance and protection and I feel she could have a lot more.

SO'N Madeleine disappeared while on holiday with her family in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in the  Algarve. Just days before her fourth birthday she was kidnapped from this ground floor apartment as her parents ate a restaurant nearby. A massive search was launched as soon as they realised Madeleine was gone and that search turned global.

David Beckham Please could you go to your local authorities or the police and give any information that you have, any genuine information that you have. Please, please help us.

SO'N But despite tip-offs and alleged sightings of Madeleine, she's never been found.  Frustrated by the lack of progress in the investigation by Police in England, where they live, and the Portuguese authorities the McCanns set up their own privately-funded investigation boosted by the generosity of the public.  At its peak '2 million pounds was in the fund.  But the cash is running out and the investigation is in danger of winding up.  Today the McCanns made a final appeal to the UK and Portuguese authorities. They want a full review of the case.

KM Well the case was officially closed in July 2008 so that's what, two and a quarter years ago.  I suspect there's probably little that was done proactively after we were declared arguido in September 2007.

GM I think that will probably come as a surprise to most people.  And (let me be clear here'''') there are reactive elements of new information comes in.  I'm sure the British police will take it forward, prioritise it and send it through to Portugal and our own team have passed information through.  But what we want is a fundamental review of all the major facts looking at all elements of information, looking at the processes that were undertaken and say this could have been done better. And the goal is to, obviously to find Madeleine and who took her but that person or those responsible are still at liberty and they should be brought to justice.

SO'N The Mccanns have close links to Northern Ireland and the Republic.  Gerry's father Jack went to school in Londonderry but he grew up in the village of St Johnston just over the border in Donegal and he ran this pub with his wife Eileen up until he died.  St Johnston became a retreat for Gerry, Kate and their young family and people here feel they have been badly left down.

Local Man They think of them as one of their own, do you understand'  And they take it very much to heart the thing, exactly what has happened.  So everybody is feeling for the McCann family, knowing that they came from this part of the country.

Local Woman People everywhere have, you know, huge sympathy for the family and what they are going through.  And I think its terrible that there still hasn't been anything done, you know, up to date about her.  I'm sure somebody somewhere knows where she is and, you know, some more should be done to help them find her.

SO'N This is how Madeleine may look today.  Three years older but still with those big innocent eyes which captivated the world.  Gerry and Kate believe their daughter is still alive.

GM We all know it will be very difficult to find Madeleine.  There's been enough cases of other children who have been missing for very prolonged periods, including Jaycee Dugard, Sean Hornbeck and others who have been recovered after being abducted and been physically well.  So there's absolutely no evidence to suggest Madeleine is not out there and what we need to do is to make sure that the authorities are doing everything within their power to find Madeleine and those responsible for her abduction.

SO'N Madeleine's younger brother and sister, who were also in the apartment at the time she disappeared, are also waiting for her to come home.

KM Oh they're fantastic. I mean they're five and three quarters now, as they'll tell you, erm, and they're unbelievable. They really are amazing.  Erm, they still talk about Madeleine all the time  I mean every day they'll talk about Madeleine.  Erm, they understand that we're having to look for her, that we have various people looking for us.  They understand why people have car stickers, why people have wrist-bands.  Erm and they still talk about when Madeleine comes home, you know.  How will they share the bedrooms'  Will the three of them be together, well you know'  What colour bedroom will we have, you know'  They're desperate for her to get home so she can open all those presents that are sitting in her room, you know.  But they, you know, they keep us going and this would be so much harder, unbearable in fact, if it wasn't for Sean and Amelie.

SO'N The McCanns have suffered every parents' worst nightmare but they still haven't lost heart that one day they will see Madeleine again.  Sharon O'Neill, UTV Tonight.

UTV NEWS NOV 3RD (2) ' MITCHELL

  Link to UTV article and comments ' UTV-3-11-10

Paul Clarke I'm joined now from London by the McCann's spokesman, Clarence Mitchell.  Clarence Mitchell, how do the McCanns feel that they may soon not be able to afford this search'

Clarence Mitchell Paul, good evening.  Well, of course, they hope that that will not be the case.  There is enough money in the fund to keep the search fully active until the spring of next year.  But obviously it makes sense to raise the possibility of the fund dwindling now so, in the hope that people will continue to be as generous and as kind as they have been in the past.  Public support has been fantastic and you can see that, even from today, within 24 hours of them launching their new online petition calling for a review of all the evidence in Britain and Portugal into Madeleine's case we've already got some ten thousand signatures online.  So that's great.  And if people wish to contribute financially as well, of course Kate and Gerry will be incredibly grateful.

PC Do they feel there is a danger that people will give up on them'

CM They hope not.  They don't think so.  Most decent-thinking people realise their search will go on as long as it takes.  There is nothing to suggest that harm has befallen Madeleine.  There is no evidence to suggest what has happened to her.  And on that basis, until they know, Kate and Gerry will keep going.  And they believe they still have a great groundswell of public support not just in Britain but in Ireland particularly where support has been absolutely fantastic.  Erm, but across Europe. Indeed across the world.  So they still feel greatly buoyed by the wave of sympathy and support that always comes along whenever they do some interviews as they've just done today.

PC How do they cope on a day-to-day basis'

CM Well they keep going. I mean this has very much become almost a second career for them. Of course, Kate never resumed her work as a GP.  She is very much concentrating on bringing up Madeleine's twin brother and sister, Sean and Amelie, as their mother.  When she's not doing that, she's campaigning, she's on the computer, she's talking to the authorities, she's talking to supporters.  That really has become her full-time focus.  Gerry is back at work as a full-time cardiologist providing the back bone for the family.  But really this has become their entire focus around their normal life and its that which actually gives them inner strength to keep going.

PC You talked about the support from Ireland. There is an Irish connection.  The McCanns, have they plans to come back to Donegal at any stage'

CM Yes, of course, Gerrys father went to school in Derry and came from Donegal originally.  There are very strong family connections, certainly on Gerry's side of the family.  They've always said they fully intend to go back when the time is right. They are only too appreciative of the support from Ireland both South and North and I know that they intend to come back at some point in the near future.  Obviously, they would hope that they will have Madeleine with them.  That day may still be a little way off but their thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Ireland and they are incredibly grateful for that continuing level of support and they would hope that everybody in Ireland will go to the online site. You can go to it through the findmadeleine.com site and sign up to this petition asking for the review that they want. They feel that's a critical part of the jigsaw and could lead to Madeleine being brought home.

PC Clarence Mitchell in London, thank you.

MARK WILLIAMS THOMAS ON RADIO FIVE LIVE 

 link to full article RADIO5LIVE-03-11-10

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Mark Williams-Thomas contributed to a phone-in on Radio Five Live with Nicky Campbell yesterday, November 3rd with transcript below.

Woman on phone (Naimh''') 'I'd like to see what kind of a Mickey Mouse search, you know, police investigation was done by the Portugal, err, police'

Nicky Campbell Well, I'll tell you what, let me stop you there.  I'll come back to you because, Mark Williams Thomas, you know stuff about, you know a lot about that, don't you'

Mark Williams-Thomas Good morning.  Yes I do.  Yes, I mean I think Gerry and Kate have come out now talking for two reasons. One, to try and keep that profile there and to talk about the effect it's had on them.  And I think its important to remember, of course, that as a parent you will never give up the search for your child.  Last year I met Patty Wetterling in the US. Her son was abducted at the age of eleven, Jacob. He's still missing.  And Patty still goes through it constantly every single day.  And bringing it to the home shores, Ruth Wilson who went missing on the 27^th of November, 95.  I know Ruth's parents very, very well and worked with them. And she's missing and she vanished at the age of sixteen. No sight or anything at all,  And these parents will never give up.  Every single phone call that they get, particularly around anniversaries and Christmas they wait in anticipation that they will get some news.  So Gerry and Kate will never give up.

But obviously what they are asking for now is a re-investigation over some of the elements of it.  And if we go back to the initial stage there was obviously an awful lot that was done, there was an awful lot that wasn't done.  But we mustn't forget that this is a Portuguese investigation and however much influence the British have over Portugal .it is ultimately their investigation.  They've conducted what they consider to be an investigation.  There are no new leads or inquiries that would require them to open the investigation.  The one thing that Gerry and Kate could do with all the Tapas would be to go back to the Portuguese police and say we will co-operate 100% with a review in relation to a reconstruction.  And don't forget that reconstruction was something that never took place and at the time I was certainly saying that reconstruction would have been very valuable but they would all have to co-operate.

NC I'm sure I remember a reconstruction on television, watching it being re-enacted.

MWT Not with Gerry and Kate other than they went back with their own investigators and did a kind of reconstruction.  The Portuguese police wanted to do a full reconstruction with all the Tapas and with everyone back in their', going through the process ('''''''')

NC Well, where do you think Madeleine is now'

MWT Well the sad reality is that when children go missing the main age group for children to go missing is ten to 16. That's where the high numbers are. But between the ages of 1 and 4, which is obviously what Madeleine was at the time, within the period of 8 minutes and there are some interesting statistics here, is 20% of children between the ages of 1 and 4 will be located within 8 minutes.  99% of those children will be located within 196 minutes.  So that shows you the sheer, the percentage of children who will be recovered very quickly.  And out of those 98% of those children will be found within 1.2 kilometres of the location to which they have gone missing.

Where do I think Madeleine is now'  Well Madeleine was'  I still believe that Madeleine was abducted outside the apartment. She walked outside the apartment and that's where she was abducted.  Gerry and Kate have got to keep hope that Madeleine isn't dead and until such time as they have got some confirmation and direct intelligence that tells them that she is dead they will always live on the hope that she will return.  The sad reality is that is probably very unlikely.

Naimh Can I just say'

NC Yeah Naimh(''''')

Naimh 'that your statistics were for Britain and I am sure they don't hold true for Portugal.  I'm sure the British Government could have applied some pressure.  I mean, you could have a special investigation where the British police, I know if someone went missing here in England it would be a completely different scenario.  The child would be found in the next 24 hours, 48 hours or whatever.  You know, they need to have a special department, I mean instead of wasting money on stop and search.  I was hearing on your radio that they did a hundred thousand stop and searches and 99.9% were useless, you know.  Instead of spending those resources on frightening the community, you know, we should spend it on situations where we can help parents where children, especially young children, 1 -10, go missing, abroad, you know.

MWT I think, I'll just pick up on that point. I think you are absolutely right as far as knowledge as to how to investigate missing children has improved incredibly.  And I was at a conference yesterday, the national Missing Persons Conference in Coventry and there is clearly an awful lot is now being done, is being done co-ordinated using agencies as well as the police service to help find missing children.  And in Portugal they are some way behind.  I think from a policing point of view they are probably five, maybe six years, maybe even more than that behind in the way they deal with missing children and indeed some of their other investigations.  But I think now, if a child goes missing in the UK, there is a incredible amount of resources that are pulled in and worked on to be able to find that child very quickly and, of course, we have experience of that.

NC OK. Its 9.30 and I am grateful to Naimh('''') and also John in Dunbarton

Keir Simmons on NBC with transcript November 7, 2010 ' jjp000

Lester Holt This morning a surprising new development in the case of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.  Three years after the British girl vanished in Portugal police say they are ready to re-open the investigation.  Lets get the latest from Keir Simmons in London.  Keir, Good morning.

Keir Simmons Well, good morning, Lester.  Its now more than three years since three year old Madeleine McCann vanished and Portugal's police just desperately need to solve this crime.  This morning it is reported that detectives are committed to resolving the case and would work on a review and pursue any new line of enquiry.  You remember Kate and Gerry McCann's young daughter went missing from their holiday apartment in idyllic resort in Portugal's Algarve.  Some witnesses saw a male abductor carrying her away but incredibly the parents themselves were then accused of her involvement.  Those allegations have been dismissed now but this week Madeleine's parents claim that both the British and Portuguese governments have forgotten their daughter.

Kate McCann Thoughts and words are not good enough, particularly when they are in a position that they can actually do something about it.

Gerry McCann If Madeleine was found it would almost be by chance and it should't be right that this crime is solved by another child being abducted.

Keir Simmons Well this morning its reported that Portuguese detectives will look at the case again but Madeleine's parents have waited too long to get their hopes up and are awaiting official confirmation.  Lester'

Lester Holt Keir, we haven't seen the McCanns for quite some time.  How are generally are they coping right now'

Keir Simmons Well you know, Lester, I've covered the disappearance of little Madeleine McCann from the beginning.  I arrived in Portugal the day after she went missing and to me her parents now seem as shell-shocked and devastated as they did in those early days.  They say Madeleine's twin brother and sister often talk about if Madeleine comes home, er, not about if Madeleine comes home but about when she comes home.  How they will share their bedrooms and spend time together.  Without those two little ones the parents say life would have simply been unbearable.

Lester Holt Alright.  Keir Simmons in London this morning, thank you.