Madeleine McCann aged nine: Yard detectives believe she could still be alive

Scotland Yard today sensationally announced that missing Madeleine McCann could still be alive.
 
Detectives carrying out a review of the case said they believed there was evidence to suggest she could have been snatched by a criminal gang or abducted by a stranger.
They have identified 195 leads and uncovered new evidence in the case.
Police announced the dramatic twist as they released a striking image of the missing girl as she might appear today as a nine year old.
The picture shows a smiling, pretty young girl which could be a proud school photo.
Detectives said the image had been created by a UK forensic artist working closely with Madeleine’s parents Gerry and Kate McCann.
A spokesman for the McCann family said they were happy with the new image. “ Kate said that she feels comfortable with it and she sees a family resemblance, she sees Madeleine in the picture and she also sees her siblings and herself in it.
“Kate and Gerry are positive about this and they hope it leads to the breakthrough they are always hoping for.”
Police announced they were quarter way through reviewing 40,000 pieces of evidence.
Detective chief inspector Andy Redwood his team of 37 officers and staff had identified 195 investigative opportunities.
He said : “We are currently developing material that we believe represents genuinely new information.
“Our genuine belief is that there is a possibility that she is alive.”
He said this was based on forensic analysis of the timeline of events which showed there was an opportunity for Madeleine to have been taken as part “of a criminal act”.
However, sources say the police team believe they have found significant new information which supports the theory.
DCI Redwood refused to say if he had identified new suspects or asked Portuguese police to interview individuals.
Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Poirtugal on May 3, 2007 as her parents Kate and Gerry McCann dined with friends near-by.
The official investigation was shelved in 2008 but Scotland Yard launched a review of the case last year after David Cameron responded to a plea from Madeleine’s parents last year.
Next week marks the fifth anniversary of her disappearance and comes days before her ninth birthday.
DCI Redwood said police had worked very carefully to ensure that the image was as accurate as it could be,
He said: “we are asking the public if you know where Madeleine is or if you have any evidence or information about what happened to her please contact us.”
He said police were still trying to trace everyone who had been in the resort between 28th April and 3 May 2007, particularly anyone staying around then Mark Warner Ocean Club resort.
DCI Redwood said he was arising closely with a woman detective who is head of a Portuguese review team and had visited Portugal seven times so far,
He said that both he and the Portuguese review squad wanted the inquiry re-opened.
DCI Redwood said the Met inquiry was the “best opportunity” yet to find Madeleine because his team has access to all the available evidence in one place for the first time.
He said they were examining evidence from three separate sources, the Portuguese police, UK forces which liaised with the Portuguese and interviewed the McCann’s friends in the UK and the private detective agency employed by the McCann family.
Mr Redwood said : “ at no time before have those three elements been drawn together in one place.  And so what we’ve done over the past number of months is to bring to one place all those pieces of the jigsaw.”
The inquiry, codenamed Operation Grange, is also examining the evidence gathered by Portuguese police, the UK police who were also involved in liaising with the Portuguese detectives and the private detective agency employed by Madeleine’s parents.
There have been hundreds of possible sightings of the girl all over the world since she went missing, but so far all have come to nothing.
So far, the review has cost taxpayers £2 million.