British diplomat warned F O of concerns over McCanns

British diplomat warned Foreign Office of concerns over McCanns

Last updated at 10:18 03 December 2007

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The Foreign Office was alerted to fears over Gerry and Kate McCann by a British diplomat in Portugal just days after their daughter Madeleine went missing.
The diplomat was sent to the holiday resort of Praia da Luz in the days following the four-year-old's disappearance and soon became concerned over "inconsistencies" in the testimonies by her parents and their friends.
After visiting the McCanns, the unnamed diplomat sent a report to the Foreign Office in London, admitting his worries about "confused declarations" of the McCanns' movements on the night of May 3.
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Gerry and Kate McCann: 'Lack of co-operation' with the Portuguese police?

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He also noted the couple's "lack of co-operation" with the Portuguese police.
The diplomat's concerns were made over four months before Gerry and Kate were named arguidos (suspects) on September 7.
Contents of the letter were leaked to Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure over the weekend.
The diplomat expressed his fears after receiving instruction from the Foreign Office to provide "all possible assistance to the McCann couple".
The French-language paper printed excerpts of the letter, quoting the diplomat as saying: "With the greatest respect, I would like to make you aware of the risks and implications to our relationship with the Portuguese authorities, if you consider the possible involvement of the couple.
"Please confirm to me, in the light of these concerns, that we want to continue to be closely involved in the case as was requested in your previous ­message."
Although the Government was quick to assist the McCanns in the days following Madeleine's disappearance, direct contact with the couple ceased when they were named as suspects.
La Dernière Heure pointed out that a majority of the diplomats originally involved in the case have now been taken off it.
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Still missing after seven months: Madeleine McCann
The then-Prime Minister Tony Blair sent special envoy Sheree Dodd to act as a "media liaison officer" for the pair soon after Madeleine vanished.
Ms Dodd has since resigned from the Foreign Office, while the British consul in the Algarve, Bill Henderson, has retired.
John Buck, the British ambassador in Portugal, no longer works in the country.



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I found quite a lot of stuff which I printed , but this was the only one with a source still available. It is worth a read considering over 5 yrs have past .

Don't forget this one....




London Evening Standard

Madeleine: Bloody footprint found in McCanns' apartment

13 October 2007

A bloody footprint was found in Kate and Gerry McCann's apartment, matching a print on their hire car, according to a forensic report shown to The Mail on Sunday.

The existence of the two marks, which has never been revealed until today, is apparently at the heart of renewed suspicion that the couple were involved in their daughter's disappearance.

New tests carried out at the Forensic Science Service laboratory in Birmingham show there is a 'moderate' chance that the blood belonged to Madeleine. But the results are inconclusive.

Anguish: Kate and Gerry McCann

The inquiry into the four-year-old's disappearance has been rife with conjecture and wild speculation over DNA material.

And, until now, confusion has surrounded what samples had been found and how important they might be.

Part of the report shown to this newspaper reveals that officers who examined the McCanns' apartment in Praia da Luz on the Algarve after Madeleine went missing on May 3 discovered a 'partial footwear mark', believed to be from a size 5 or 6 shoe, just outside the bedroom.

It adds that it 'appeared to have a blood imprint' that was visible to the naked eye.

The FSS results conclude that the footprint matched the pattern of a mark found above the rear bumper of the McCanns' Renault Scenic hire car – a print which Portuguese police apparently believe is consistent with someone lifting a body in or out of the boot.

Experts could find no definite traces of blood in that print.

Blood in the footprint at the apartment was tested for DNA. Results are rated on an eight-point scale: no scientific evidence, limited, moderate, moderately strong, strong, very strong, extremely strong and conclusive.

Scientists found there was only 'moderate' support, number 3 on the scale, to suggest it matched Madeleine's DNA.

What they believe is significant about the footprint is that no traces of blood were found around it.

'It is quite possible, therefore, that the blood had been picked up on the sole of the shoe from outside the apartment, from literally anywhere,' said a source close to the investigation.

Missing: Madeleine McCann

The source added that there was concern at the FSS that the Portuguese police have already attached too much weight to the results.

It has been reported, for instance, that DNA results justified the naming of the McCanns as official suspects, or arguidos.

'The simple fact is that, as was the case before, the results are not conclusive,' said the source.

'In short, it cannot be said the blood belongs to Madeleine. If other strong evidence accompanied it – for example, that someone was seen emerging from the apartment with a hammer – then a lawyer might find it of some use. But on its own it is of little value.'

Further question marks were raised over the forensic evidence last night, as Portuguese police have still failed to take DNA samples from people who helped in the initial stages of the search for Madeleine.

These profiles would prove crucial in matching scene-of-crime evidence to those who were at the resort.

One resident who had not been asked to give a sample said: 'I thought it was quite important for us to give DNA so that we could be ruled out if nothing else. There were lots of us helping look for the little girl that night and you would have thought our DNA would be all over the place.'

The FSS report says the footprint found in the apartment 'was made when the foot was heading towards the bedroom'.

'The impression was made up of small circles and square blocks. It is not possible to ascertain whether the shoe print was from an adult or a child but it is estimated that it was a shoe size 5 or possibly 6. It was of a right shoe.

'The shoe print found at the rear of the Renault hire car below the boot area and above part of the rear bumper was a left-sided shoe and the impression has similar pattern component, pattern size and degree of wear to the outer toe region of the sole to match the right shoe, and again has circles and square blocks. A swab for blood from this mark has been examined but it proved inconclusive.'

This is the first time that forensic evidence relating to the case has been presented in such detail.

Sources have told this newspaper that the sample taken from the apartment was not of good quality. Other partial prints were underneath it and it had been walked over countless times.

Tests were carried out to determine whether anyone had tried to clean it up, and, crucially, the results showed that no 'concerted' effort had been made.

'If someone had tried to wipe it away, using bleach, for instance, this would have shown up clearly in the results,' said the source.

There is also concern over the Portuguese police's interpretation of the print on the Renault Scenic.

'They seem to think it is consistent with someone putting their foot on the boot to lever a body in or out. But there could be 101 reasons why someone would put their foot on the car in this way,' the source said.

A pair of Madeleine's ankle socks – 'heavily stained on the sole and the heel' – were also examined at the Birmingham laboratory.

It could not be determined whether the stains contained blood and were deemed to hold 'limited scientific' evidence.

Nail clippings found in the hire car were found to contain fragments of paint but otherwise to be 'of no significance'.

The McCanns have always vehemently denied any involvement in their daughter's disappearance and will view the new report as confirmation of their fears that the Portuguese police are overplaying the importance of forensic evidence.

The couple have consistently said any material found in Portugal can be wholly and innocently explained. They have hired their own forensic experts to refute Portuguese police claims that the new DNA tests link them to Madeleine's disappearance.

But the Policia Judiciaria have not contacted the McCanns since they returned to their Leicestershire home more than a month ago.

A friend said: 'They have not heard a word. It's a shambles considering they have been made the focus of the investigation and stand accused of playing a part in their daughter's death. They don't have a clue what's going on.'

Last night, Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, said: 'We simply cannot comment on unsubstantiated reports that touch on any evidence at the centre of this inquiry.'

Meanwhile, detectives are focusing on evidence from former Mark Warner nanny Charlotte Pennington, 20, that she saw a man dropping a 'bundle' from a dinghy into the Atlantic just off Praia da Luz at 11.30pm on the night Madeleine disappeared.

A police source described the sighting as 'credible', but questions hang over it.

Miss Pennington said the man's jacket had a yellow reflective hood, and for her to have seen him in the dark, the boat would have had to be close to shore.

Neither fact seems to indicate a man wishing to remain undetected.

About the Belgian newspaper : "La Dernière Heure" and the alleged leak from the British ambassy, I am surprised not to find any link to such an article in the Frenchspeaking newspapers .To my knowledge, it was only mentionned in French on SOS Maddie, but does it really exist?

Thanks kitti, hadn't seen that before.

frenchperson, yes it is true about the Portugese Ambassador there was a copy of John Buck's email amongst the released
Documents by the Police. It is very obvious that the McCanns were protected by the English Prime Minister and Deputy and I would love to know WHY?????

Panda wrote:Thanks kitti, hadn't seen that before.

frenchperson, yes it is true about the Portugese Ambassador there was a copy of John Buck's email amongst the released
Documents by the Police. It is very obvious that the McCanns were protected by the English Prime Minister and Deputy and I would love to know WHY?????

Sorry panda much as i respect your views and i do , i can not believe in all these coverups . Tony Blair was the PM at the time Gordon Brown his chancellor .Gordon Brown IMO got himself involved because he was trying to help , it was a chain of who you know and it unfortunately led to G B :He was IMO foolish to get involved but he never was again IMO very astute at making sound judgements .These two again IMO have been very very lucky .... but sometimes luck runs out , i hope i'm still around to see that day .

halfamo wrote:

Panda wrote:Thanks kitti, hadn't seen that before.

frenchperson, yes it is true about the Portugese Ambassador there was a copy of John Buck's email amongst the released
Documents by the Police. It is very obvious that the McCanns were protected by the English Prime Minister and Deputy and I would love to know WHY?????

Sorry panda much as i respect your views and i do , i can not believe in all these coverups . Tony Blair was the PM at the time Gordon Brown his chancellor .Gordon Brown IMO got himself involved because he was trying to help , it was a chain of who you know and it unfortunately led to G B :He was IMO foolish to get involved but he never was again IMO very astute at making sound judgements .These two again IMO have been very very lucky .... but sometimes luck runs out , i hope i'm still around to see that day .

Hi halfamo, it was Tony Blair who contacted the British Embassy that night asking Buck to go to PDL to aid the McCanns, so how did he get to know so quickly about Madeleine missing? Why would he ask Buck to go to PDL , was it because Blair was told it was an abduction and thought the Abductors would get in touch with the McCanns?

halfamo wrote:

Panda wrote:Thanks kitti, hadn't seen that before.

frenchperson, yes it is true about the Portugese Ambassador there was a copy of John Buck's email amongst the released
Documents by the Police. It is very obvious that the McCanns were protected by the English Prime Minister and Deputy and I would love to know WHY?????

Sorry panda much as i respect your views and i do , i can not believe in all these coverups . Tony Blair was the PM at the time Gordon Brown his chancellor .Gordon Brown IMO got himself involved because he was trying to help , it was a chain of who you know and it unfortunately led to G B :He was IMO foolish to get involved but he never was again IMO very astute at making sound judgements .These two again IMO have been very very lucky .... but sometimes luck runs out , i hope i'm still around to see that day .

The mccanns had a personal link via Alex Woolfall

Loopdaloop wrote:

halfamo wrote:

Panda wrote:Thanks kitti, hadn't seen that before.

frenchperson, yes it is true about the Portugese Ambassador there was a copy of John Buck's email amongst the released
Documents by the Police. It is very obvious that the McCanns were protected by the English Prime Minister and Deputy and I would love to know WHY?????

Sorry panda much as i respect your views and i do , i can not believe in all these coverups . Tony Blair was the PM at the time Gordon Brown his chancellor .Gordon Brown IMO got himself involved because he was trying to help , it was a chain of who you know and it unfortunately led to G B :He was IMO foolish to get involved but he never was again IMO very astute at making sound judgements .These two again IMO have been very very lucky .... but sometimes luck runs out , i hope i'm still around to see that day .

The mccanns had a personal link via Alex Woolfall

http://gazetadigitalmadeleinecase.blogspot.fr/2008/01/mark-warner-alex-woolfall-and-few.html (if true)

So, it seems that even before the Polícia Judiciária team arrived at Praia da Luz, the Foreign Office had already information about the “kidnap” and UK TV’s were already broadcasting the story.

It’s always good to remember that first call to GNR precinct was 45 minutes after Kate realized Madeleine disappeared, and the head of PJ was informed by the British Ambassador, around 11h15, even before PJ detectives had time to drive from Portimão to Praia da Luz…

Alex Woolfall is a star among stars. His experience covers “deliberate sabotage and accidental contamination of products (from food to pharmaceuticals); accident, injury and death in the workplace; allegations of corporate manslaughter; product recalls; corporate fraud and theft; court cases on the grounds of sex, race and age discrimination; redundancy and closure announcements; the use of illegal and/or child labour; regulatory breaches; mislabelling of products; abduction and robberies and terrorist related activities”, according to Bell Pottinger site. Quite a curriculum…

Thanks loopdeloop and ann _chovey, What would I do without you clever people who know something and find it.
Now this I DO remember, the PJ recorded the call at 10.41 pm and arrived just after 11pm , why automatically assume "abduct", couldn't Tony Blair of Alex Wolfall maybe think Madeleine could have wandered off and someone was sheltering her until they could find out where she had come from??? We are only talking about an hour or so before Tony Blair et all was told. Just a thought, I remember reading that John Buck was at a dinner , I think about 10 30 pm when he was told to go to PDL and waited until the next morning.

Panda wrote:Thanks loopdeloop and ann _chovey, What would I do without you clever people who know something and find it.
Now this I DO remember, the PJ recorded the call at 10.41 pm and arrived just after 11pm , why automatically assume "abduct", couldn't Tony Blair of Alex Wolfall maybe think Madeleine could have wandered off and someone was sheltering her until they could find out where she had come from??? We are only talking about an hour or so before Tony Blair et all was told. Just a thought, I remember reading that John Buck was at a dinner , I think about 10 30 pm when he was told to go to PDL and waited until the next morning.

curiouser and curiouser....

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id65.html

Mr Woolfall says that he heard no suggestion in the early days that the girl had been snatched. "Certainly I did not hear any discussion that this could be a paedophile or an aggravated robbery. All the time I was around it was whether she could have wandered off and had an accident or somebody had actually taken her in, perhaps not with ill-intent.

ann_chovey wrote:

Panda wrote:Thanks loopdeloop and ann _chovey, What would I do without you clever people who know something and find it.
Now this I DO remember, the PJ recorded the call at 10.41 pm and arrived just after 11pm , why automatically assume "abduct", couldn't Tony Blair of Alex Wolfall maybe think Madeleine could have wandered off and someone was sheltering her until they could find out where she had come from??? We are only talking about an hour or so before Tony Blair et all was told. Just a thought, I remember reading that John Buck was at a dinner , I think about 10 30 pm when he was told to go to PDL and waited until the next morning.

curiouser and curiouser....

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id65.html

Mr Woolfall says that he heard no suggestion in the early days that the girl had been snatched. "Certainly I did not hear any discussion that this could be a paedophile or an aggravated robbery. All the time I was around it was whether she could have wandered off and had an accident or somebody had actually taken her in, perhaps not with ill-intent.

Yes......isn't it just!!!! The fact that Buck did not immediately go to PDL after Dinner, but waited until the next morning
suggests he wasn't thinking abduction either so you have to ask the question, why did the McCanns tout this within hours??

Panda wrote:

ann_chovey wrote:

Panda wrote:Thanks loopdeloop and ann _chovey, What would I do without you clever people who know something and find it.
Now this I DO remember, the PJ recorded the call at 10.41 pm and arrived just after 11pm , why automatically assume "abduct", couldn't Tony Blair of Alex Wolfall maybe think Madeleine could have wandered off and someone was sheltering her until they could find out where she had come from??? We are only talking about an hour or so before Tony Blair et all was told. Just a thought, I remember reading that John Buck was at a dinner , I think about 10 30 pm when he was told to go to PDL and waited until the next morning.

curiouser and curiouser....

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id65.html

Mr Woolfall says that he heard no suggestion in the early days that the girl had been snatched. "Certainly I did not hear any discussion that this could be a paedophile or an aggravated robbery. All the time I was around it was whether she could have wandered off and had an accident or somebody had actually taken her in, perhaps not with ill-intent.

Yes......isn't it just!!!! The fact that Buck did not immediately go to PDL after Dinner, but waited until the next morning
suggests he wasn't thinking abduction either so you have to ask the question, why did the McCanns tout this within hours??

hi i don't think at the start anyone was thinking abduction , the only ones shouting this were the Mcs , they were sure that a paedophile gang had abducted Madeleine .It was meant to distract and it was successful thats why they are still free to this day .

yes halfamo,

Didn't Philomena tell the Press that Gerry phoned her and was distraught saying Madeleine was taken??? He still managed to work out the timelines with the rest of the Group, work on the Wider Agenda, like Kate, not go searching .!!