Madeleine McCann cops looking for gun end dig as new statement issued

The latest Madeleine McCann search has concluded

A three-day search this week for missing Madeleine McCann concluded today in Portugal - around 30 miles from where she went missing in 2007.

Police flattened a concentrated area of woodland and dug a number of holes near a remote reservoir in the country.

Huge piles of soil and broken rock were left next to the 160sq-ft area close to the banks of the Barragem do Arade, where officers were seen with shovels for a number of hours on Wednesday afternoon.

Portuguese police confirmed the search concluded on Thursday, and said materials had been sent to Germany for testing.

It has been reported today police had intended to find a gun and a camcorder at the site, which belonged to prime suspect Christian Brueckner.

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A blue tent was dismantled today as the investigation ended (Phil Harris)

Madeleine McCann's family continues to cling onto a glimmer of hope

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

Seven key questions in Nicola Bulley disappearance that have to be answered

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

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

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

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

Kate McCann and her husband Gerry McCann talk to the press in 2014 (AFP/Getty Images)

Here's what happened during Thursday's search after the disappearance of Madeleine

Following more activity at the site today, police say they found material which will taken to Germany for analysis.

A source alleges they were looking for a gun and camcorder belonging to the suspect Christian Brueckner.

They spent three days scouring a remote reservoir after "certain tips" were given to German prosecutors about the case.

Search teams look for clues into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Phil Harris)

Here's what happened during Wednesday's search for Madeleine

Detectives scoured the reservoir on Wednesday for any rags or fragments of clothing that may have been linked to Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

The pink pyjamas being worn by Maddie on the night she went missing were understood to be a focus in the search, reports suggested.

Madeleine's parents put her to bed on May 3, 2007, in her short-sleeved Marks & Spencer Eeyore pyjamas with her favourite Cuddle Cat soft toy and a pink comfort blanket.

For more information about Wednesday's search, click here.

Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner buried child abuse images next to dead dog

Madeleine McCann has been missing for 16 long years, but her parents have recently been given fresh hope thanks to a new investigation into her disappearance.

Police in Germany ordered the search of an area of woodland on a peninsula at the Barragem do Arade in Portugal, and this week a digging operation commenced.

But today, it is understood that Portuguese police have been told they will no longer be needed after 4pm, signalling a likely end to the operation which started on Tuesday morning.

The fresh probe into the death of the British toddler - who would now have been 20 - began after police received a series of 'tips' about prime suspect Christian Brueckner.

Here's more information about how it was uncovered Brueckner buried child abuse images next to a dead dog.

Holes dug by officers in the investigation are 2ft deep

Holes dug by police hunting for evidence in the Madeleine McCann case have been left around 2ft deep.

Huge piles of soil were left next to the concentrated digging area.

The surrounding woodland showed pathways had been cut by heavy machinery, leading to the main flattened 160 square foot excavation area.

Broken rocks were also scattered around the site in Portugal, after pickaxes were seen used by personnel over the course of three days.

Holes dug by police hunting for evidence in the Madeleine McCann case have been left around 2ft deep (Phil Harris)

Cops were searching for suspect's GUN and camcorder

Officers spent three days scouring a remote reservoir after "certain tips" were given to German prosecutors about the case - with fresh information suggesting officers were looking for a gun and camcorder.

They were allegedly stolen from prime suspect Christian Brueckner's house, the Mail reports.

A criminal informer tipped off German prosecutors that items taken in the 2007 raid at Brueckner's isolated home were then thrown into the reservoir.

Click here for more.

The search of the reservoir has now ended (AFP via Getty Images)

Police release new statement as search stood down

Portuguese police have released a fresh update now that the search of the reservoir has been called off, adding that they found 'material' they will now investigate:

"Following the statement of May 22, 2023, the Judiciary Police informs that the steps requested by the German authorities, through a request for international cooperation, have been fulfilled, which resulted in the collection of some material that will be subject to the competent expertise. The operation was coordinated by the Judiciary Police, which involved investigators, criminal experts and security personnel."

Read the full story here.

Here's what happened during Tuesday's search for Madeleine

An overnight no-fly zone covering the whole of the man-made dam was also put in place early on Tuesday morning - the first day of the search.

It left the airspace above Arade Dam in the Algarve and land near the water’s edge open to police drones only.

The ring of steel meant journalists and curious onlookers were kept more than a mile back from two white tents put up on Monday ahead of the operation.

The tents were seen by a secluded hilltop area on a peninsula jutting into the reservoir and Portuguese police searched the area from 9am local time.

Sources close to the investigation said they had evidence the clearing in the trees was the spot sole suspect Christian Brueckner used to spend time at.

Read more about Tuesday's activity here.

Tents were erected ahead of Tuesday's search (LUIS FORRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Seven key clues in new search for missing Madeleine McCann as police call off reservoir dig

Police have brought their fresh search for Madeleine McCann - a British toddler whose disappearance 16 years ago shook the entire world and triggered a global hunt - to a close.

Over the course of their searches, officers used shovels to excavate an area of woodland, and also deployed sniffer dogs and pickaxes.

It marks the first major operation of its kind since June 2014, when British police were given permission to do digs in Praia da Luz that involved sniffer dogs trained in detecting bodies and ground-penetrating radar.

Mirror has tonight shared everything we know so far about the latest search

The latest search for Madeleine McCann has ended (PA)

Was anything found in the latest search?

Although Portuguese cops have been told they are no longer needed, and machinery and tents have been removed from the site, it is not yet known if anything significant was found in the last few days.

Officers photographed an excavation site around 30 miles from where Madeleine McCann went missing in 2007.

But police have been ordered to conclude the work this afternoon.

Portuguese authorities conduct a new search operation at Arade dam area today (LUIS FORRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Madeleine McCann reservoir search ends at Barragem do Arade

The latest search for Madeleine McCann has ended as tents have been taken down and heavy machinery has removed from the site in Portugal.

Officers had spent three days combing a reservoir at Barragem do Arade and surrounding scrubland, after receiving "certain tip-offs".

But the search has this afternoon concluded.

The latest search for Madeleine McCann has concluded (METROPOLITAN POLICE/AFP via Gett)

Prosecutors had said latest search will last until they are 'through' with the area

Speaking in a press interview earlier this week, German Prosecutor, Hans Christian Wolters, had insisted it didn't matter how long the search would last.

"Originally, we expected it to take about two days," he added in the Sky News interview.

"If it now takes three or four days, it doesn't matter. It will take until we are 'through' with the area."

White tents are being pulled down, and equipment is being put in vehicles, reports say

The head of Portuguese Madeleine McCann investigation, Helena Monteiro, has been seen leaving the site today, with dog team vans machinery used to clear undergrowth, reports suggest.

They also claim that, by lunchtime, teams began pulling down white tents, which appeared in the search area on Monday.

Equipment has reportedly been packed into vans, as officers prepare to leave - including Germans facing a long drive home in convoy across Europe.

Search teams look for clues into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Phil Harris)

What have police said today in relation to the search?

Portuguese police have been told they will no longer be needed after 4pm today, it is believed.

It would signal a likely end to the operation, which started on Tuesday morning.

A well-placed police source said: "The GNR has received instructions to stand down at 4pm local time."

The GNR is one of the two Portuguese police forces which have been working at the Barragem do Arade.

German prosecutors say they are acting on 'certain tips' with the search

German authorities have not revealed what triggered the latest search operation, but prosecutor for the city of Braunschweig Christian Wolters said they were acting on the basis of "certain tips".

He told German public broadcaster NDR the new information had not come from the suspect and they did not have a confession or "any indication from the suspect of where it would make sense to search".

The nation's investigators who believe their prime suspect, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, kidnapped and murdered the youngster.

But he has reportedly denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.

Prime suspect Christian Brueckner (REX/Shutterstock)

Recap of what has been happening in Portugal today

Police today started photographing an excavation site near the banks of the remote reservoir as the fresh Madeleine McCann searches entered a third day.

Officers maintained their focus on an area of woodland on a peninsula at the Barragem do Arade after a digging operation was commenced on Wednesday afternoon.

Heavy machinery, which had been used to cut through the vast undergrowth, was removed from the search area this afternoon amid reports that officers had been told to stand down by 4pm.

A large section of the Barragem do Arade has been cordoned off since Tuesday morning, around 30 miles from where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

Officers used shovels to excavate their area of focus, and sniffer dogs and pickaxes have also been deployed over the course of the searches.

Officers are pictured at the scene with a drone (Phil Harris)

Remarkably 'normal' life of Madeleine McCann's siblings - sports, friends and joy

Madeleine McCann disappeared 16 years ago without a trace, but her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have never given up hope of finding her.

The McCann family, including twins Amelie and Sean, now 18, were on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, when Maddie was last seen in May 2007.

To this day, Kate and Gerry have continued to hope Maddie, who would now be 20-years-old, is still alive and will one day be reunited with them.

Click here to read the full story

Gerry and Kate McCann with children Amelie and Sean (Jonathan Buckmaster/Daily Express)

Has anything been found in the new search so far?

Portuguese daily Expresso said that the first day ended with no significant results, and that police had collected some objects including fabrics and garments.

Police have been spotted removing what appeared to be large brown evidence bags from the search site.

However, they have not revealed any information about what was found.

Why are British police involved?

British officers from the Metropolitan Police are present while the work is carried out at the reservoir so they can inform Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry of any developments.

Kate and Gerry McCann (Getty Images)

Portuguese lawyer raised funds to dig at reservoir in 2008

Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia previously claimed that criminal contacts had told him that Madeleine's body was in the reservoir, and in 2008 he raised funds for unsuccessful private searches of the water.

Divers were expected to enter water

Reports in the Sun said divers were expected to enter the water today.

Portuguese daily Expresso said that the first day ended with no significant results, and that police had collected some objects including fabrics and garments.

Madeleine's disappearance has attracted enormous media attention since she vanished, and reporters are being kept at arm's length around a mile away from where search activity is taking place.

A no-fly zone has also been imposed over the reservoir.

Searches come after Home Office granted extra £110k

The new searches come as the Home Office granted an extra £110,000 in funding this financial year for the Metropolitan Police to assist with finding Madeleine, down from just over £300,000 last year.

The total funding given to Operation Grange has been just under £13.1 million since 2011.

A drone operator at the search site

A drone operator at the Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal (Phil Harris)

Where is Christian Brueckner now?

Investigators are reported to have previously found photos and video of Christian Brueckner at the reservoir.

The prime suspect is said to have denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.

The 45-year-old is a convicted sex offender, with the German authorties - who have requested the current operation - believing he kidnapped and murdered the toddler.

He is currently in prison in Germany for the rape of a woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, and is suspected of further rapes and child sexual abuse committed in the area between 2000 and 2017.

German authorities have not revealed what triggered the latest search operation, but prosecutor for the city of Braunschweig Christian Wolters said they were acting on the basis of "certain tips".

Prime suspect Christian Brueckner (REX/Shutterstock)

Search to end within hours as Portugal police ordered to stand down

Portuguese police have been told they will no longer be needed after 4pm today at the Algarve reservoir where the Madeleine McCann search has been taking place.

It signals a likely end to the operation, which started on Tuesday, in the next few hours.

A well-placed police source said: “The GNR has received instructions to stand down at 4pm local time.”

The GNR is one of the two Portuguese police forces which have been working at the Barragem do Arade.

There was no immediate information made available by the other force, the Policia Judiciaria.

Read more here.

Officers photograph digging site as search enters third day

Police have begun photographing an excavation site near the banks of a remote reservoir in Portugal as the fresh Madeleine McCann searches entered a third day.

Officers maintained their focus on an area of woodland on a peninsula at the Barragem do Arade on Thursday after a digging operation was commenced on Wednesday afternoon.

Heavy machinery continued to cut through vast undergrowth at the site, while a mixture of uniformed and plain-clothed officers raked the ground.

Searches continuing near the reservoir today (PA)

Police arrive as search extends into third day

Police were seen arriving at the Arade dam area this morning as the fresh searches continue into their third day.

Sniffer dogs and rakes have been used by uniformed and plain-clothed officers over the course of the last two days, before specialist forest workers used strimmers and heavy machinery to cut back the landscape.

Portuguese authorities conduct a new search operation at Arade dam area today (LUIS FORRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Prime suspect 'visited reservoir days after Madeleine's disappearance'

The prime suspect in Madeleine McCann's disappearance visited a reservoir in Portugal just days after her disappearance, a police informant has claimed.

Fresh searches have seen officers dig a concentrated area of woodland near the banks of the Barragem do Arade, which Christian Brueckner is said to have described as "his little paradise".

The convicted sex offender, 45, visited the beauty spot - possibly with others - "some days" after Madeleine went missing, a former friend alleged to police.

The tip-off reportedly tallied up with photos and videos of Brueckner near the reservoir, and influenced investigators to carry out thorough searches of the area.

Search teams have been provided with maps showing where to excavate based on the tip-off, reported The Times.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told the newspaper that detectives believe Madeleine could have been alive for two or three days after she disappeared.

Read more here.

Authorities gather at a Judiciary Police makeshift base camp this morning (LUIS FORRA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Clue that could crack open case after 'secret lair' discovery

Police began the search on Monday after unearthing a series of photos and videos in convicted sex offender and prime suspect Christian Brueckner's "secret lair".

German police are thought to have obtained the media in a hidden area in a dilapidated factory site in the German village of Neuwegersleben, 65 miles south-east of Hanover.

They are now behind a search of the Barragem do Arade reservoir, which is around 31 miles from the Praia da Luz in Portugal, where the McCann family were on holiday when Maddie was last seen in May 2007.

The reservoir is said to be a favourite spot of convicted German rapist Christian Brückner, who allegedly referred to it as "his little paradise".

An insider has said that police could be looking for "rags", which could be the pink Marks & Spencer pyjamas worn by Maddie on the night she went missing, reported The Times.

Read more here.