British cleaners and Portuguese manual workers are among new suspects

Scotland Yard hunt six British cleaners driving a white van in search for missing Maddie

•British cleaners and Portuguese manual workers are among new suspects
•Many suspects worked at the complex where the three-year-old was staying

•Scotland Yard have conducted a review of the Portuguese inquiry

•Sources said ‘low-level’ workers have become the focus of interest.

By Ian Gallagher And Russell Myers

PUBLISHED: 21:02 GMT, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 21:02 GMT, 18 May 2013

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British cleaners and Portuguese manual workers are among new suspects in the Madeleine McCann investigation, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

Scotland Yard identified what they describe as ‘people of interest’ during a review of the Portuguese inquiry into the three-year-old’s disappearance in May, 2007.

The suspects are thought to number 12 – not 20 as has been reported – and include a number of British cleaners who were working near the apartment complex where Madeleine, twin siblings Sean and Amelie and parents Gerry and Kate were staying.


Scotland Yard identified what they say are 'people of interest' in the kidnap of Madeleine McCann
Scotland Yard identified what they say are 'people of interest' in the kidnap of Madeleine McCann

Sources said ‘low-level’ workers – handymen, cleaners and gardeners – have become the focus of interest. Some are thought to have been employed by the Ocean Club complex on a casual basis and may have already been interviewed.




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Police are said to be keen to trace six British cleaners who were working in Praia da Luz when Madeleine vanished and who didn’t appear in the Portuguese files.

They are said to have used a white van and went from apartment to apartment offering their services, chiefly concentrating on expats.


Gerry McCann and Kate McCann take their twins Sean and Amelie to the creche at the Ocean Club Resort in 2007
Gerry McCann and Kate McCann take their twins Sean and Amelie to the creche at the Ocean Club Resort in 2007


The Ocean Club in Praia da Luz where Maddie was disappeared. Portuguese police refuse to reopen the case
The Ocean Club in Praia da Luz where Maddie was disappeared. Portuguese police refuse to reopen the case

A source said: ‘There is quite a culture of people drifting from door to door offering services from everything from your garden to your roof or windows.’

As well as the manual workers there are a number of more obvious suspects who already appear in the Portuguese files but who British police feel haven’t been ‘bottomed out’ properly and therefore warrant further investigation.

‘There are a lot of people who could be explored further, if only to be eliminated,’ said Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, head of Scotland Yard’s Homicide and Serious Crime Command.

However officers face having to break down Portuguese resistance to re-opening the inquiry. Officials in Lisbon say they can reopen the case only if there is new evidence. But it has been claimed that the new leads could, if properly explored, result in new evidence and possibly solve the Madeleine mystery.





Undated family handout of missing Madeleine McCann. ....Photo credit should read: PA Wire..

Madeleine McCann


Madeleine disappeared in 2007 when she was on holiday with her parents and brother and sister in Portugal



Kate and Gerry McCann have never given up hunting for their daughter
Kate and Gerry McCann have never given up hunting for their daughter

Detectives examining the Portuguese files were alarmed that the original inquiry had not traced and interviewed all the staff and holidaymakers who were at the Ocean Club when Madeleine went missing.

Last year the Met said that it had identified 195 fresh leads that should have been investigated either by conducting further witness interviews, eliminating suspects or carrying out forensic tests that were missing from the 2007 inquiry.

Officers found unexplained gaps in the investigation timeline and that there had been a complete lack of forensic examination of mobile phone activity in the area on the night Madeleine disappeared.


Madeleine in an Everton football shirt before she disappeared. British officers face difficulty in breaking down resistance in Portugal to reopening the case
Madeleine in an Everton football shirt before she disappeared. British officers face difficulty in breaking down resistance in Portugal to reopening the case



Madeleine McCann is seen how she may look as her ninth birthday approached in this computer-generated handout photograph released in 2012
Madeleine McCann is seen how she may look as her ninth birthday approached in this computer-generated handout photograph released in 2012



Mr Campbell said it was ‘perfectly probable’ that information which could identify the suspect responsible for Madeleine’s disappearance was already in the Portuguese files.

He reiterated a claim that Madeleine could still be alive. He said: ‘You only have to look at the case in Cleveland, Ohio, and the European cases. Of course there is a possibility she is alive. But the key is to investigate the case and, alive or dead, we should be able to try and discern what happened.’

The McCanns, of Rothley, Leicestershire, have been kept closely informed of Scotland Yard’s review – codenamed Operation Grange – over the past two years.

A spokesman for the couple said: ‘They have been encouraged from the moment the review started and are now greatly encouraged that police have drawn up a short list of people who they believe are of interest to the inquiry.’














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What is the difference between a cleaner and a manual worker???? Can't believe this absolute Bullshit!

Is it Silly Season for news reporting? Cleaners, mystery kind couple, what next? I thought that the cleaners had been ruled out long ago.

The newspaper silly season used to be August when not much was happening but, since May 2007, the silly season is as endless as the DFS sale!

the daily mail publishing about kates swearing is a big step for them though

Can anybody remember the thing about a key to the pool cleaning equipment store and who may or may not have had access to it to get cleaning materials etc ? Why does that one back to my mind, but I cannot remember the detail.....I'm getting old.

mossman wrote:Can anybody remember the thing about a key to the pool cleaning equipment store and who may or may not have had access to it to get cleaning materials etc ? Why does that one back to my mind, but I cannot remember the detail.....I'm getting old.

maybe beacuse pool cleaning stuff is bleach etc isnt it???

Possibly Luis Antonio, the former husband of Robert Murat's then girlfriend?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1578759/Madeleine-McCann-Luis-Antonio-questioned.html

Not Born Yesterday wrote:Possibly Luis Antonio, the former husband of Robert Murat's then girlfriend?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1578759/Madeleine-McCann-Luis-Antonio-questioned.html

Thank you :Great. He is in the PJ files somewhere too I think. Must go have a new look at it.

I also think a number of significant questions have fallen by the wayside in the last few years. When all this first happened there was a lot of information out there. One piece of key information was empty apartments in the block. Now the cleaners would know which apartments were empty. And also the furniture arrangements of the apartments they cleaned. And they would also know if there was any missing bedding, curtains in the apartments. And would know if any day the people in the apartments said they didn't want them cleaned that day.

I think the cleaners would be a really valuable source of information.

THE CLEANING DEPARTMENT DEPOT WAS BROKEN INTO,I REMEMBER READING

dazedandconfused wrote:Is it Silly Season for news reporting? Cleaners, mystery kind couple, what next? I thought that the cleaners had been ruled out long ago.

We have come full circle, back to 'Pedro the waiter' and 'Juanita the maid', courtesy of Carol Everett.

Haha 1st piccy looks like queen Victoria, and the 2nd looks like my old postman he was an alcoholic and had a red nose

Haha 1st piccy looks like queen Victoria, and the 2nd looks like my old postman he was an alcoholic and had a red nose

Didn't Brian of the famous "Brian's dreams", have pictures like these??

mossman wrote:

Not Born Yesterday wrote:Possibly Luis Antonio, the former husband of Robert Murat's then girlfriend?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1578759/Madeleine-McCann-Luis-Antonio-questioned.html

Thank you :Great. He is in the PJ files somewhere too I think. Must go have a new look at it.

mossman /NBY Wasn't this Michaela the girlfriend of the Russian guy who had his computer taken away for inspection ? His car was also burned with a message in Portugese, "tell the truth." SY are obviously clutching at straws because I am sure the Portugese would have checked this out at the time, and the Cleaners.

ofgs doesn't anyone think this is also about showing the results of the what is it £4m spent so far on the review. jimo

Panda wrote:

mossman wrote:

Not Born Yesterday wrote:Possibly Luis Antonio, the former husband of Robert Murat's then girlfriend?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1578759/Madeleine-McCann-Luis-Antonio-questioned.html

Thank you :Great. He is in the PJ files somewhere too I think. Must go have a new look at it.

mossman /NBY Wasn't this Michaela the girlfriend of the Russian guy who had his computer taken away for inspection ? His car was also burned with a message in Portugese, "tell the truth." SY are obviously clutching at straws because I am sure the Portugese would have checked this out at the time, and the Cleaners.

Michaela is now Robert's wife Panda.
Was his girlfriend at the time.

Not Born Yesterday wrote:Possibly Luis Antonio, the former husband of Robert Murat's then girlfriend?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1578759/Madeleine-McCann-Luis-Antonio-questioned.html

Why an old 2008 article with today's date on.

wjk wrote:

Panda wrote:

mossman wrote:

Not Born Yesterday wrote:Possibly Luis Antonio, the former husband of Robert Murat's then girlfriend?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1578759/Madeleine-McCann-Luis-Antonio-questioned.html

Thank you :Great. He is in the PJ files somewhere too I think. Must go have a new look at it.

mossman /NBY Wasn't this Michaela the girlfriend of the Russian guy who had his computer taken away for inspection ? His car was also burned with a message in Portugese, "tell the truth." SY are obviously clutching at straws because I am sure the Portugese would have checked this out at the time, and the Cleaners.

Michaela is now Robert's wife Panda.
Was his girlfriend at the time.

Well Murat was definitely involved with the Russiam, I'm sure, I thought she was with the Russian at the time, obviously wrong.

Panda wrote:

wjk wrote:

Panda wrote:

mossman wrote:

Not Born Yesterday wrote:Possibly Luis Antonio, the former husband of Robert Murat's then girlfriend?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1578759/Madeleine-McCann-Luis-Antonio-questioned.html

Thank you :Great. He is in the PJ files somewhere too I think. Must go have a new look at it.

mossman /NBY Wasn't this Michaela the girlfriend of the Russian guy who had his computer taken away for inspection ? His car was also burned with a message in Portugese, "tell the truth." SY are obviously clutching at straws because I am sure the Portugese would have checked this out at the time, and the Cleaners.

Michaela is now Robert's wife Panda.
Was his girlfriend at the time.

Well Murat was definitely involved with the Russiam, I'm sure, I thought she was with the Russian at the time, obviously wrong.

Are you thinking of Malinka - he was a computer whizz kid who was helping Murat set up a website, I think.

Kitti, you'll see on all archive articles that the current date is on the top of them.

mossman wrote:

Panda wrote:

wjk wrote:

Panda wrote:

mossman wrote:


Thank you :Great. He is in the PJ files somewhere too I think. Must go have a new look at it.

mossman /NBY Wasn't this Michaela the girlfriend of the Russian guy who had his computer taken away for inspection ? His car was also burned with a message in Portugese, "tell the truth." SY are obviously clutching at straws because I am sure the Portugese would have checked this out at the time, and the Cleaners.

Michaela is now Robert's wife Panda.
Was his girlfriend at the time.

Well Murat was definitely involved with the Russiam, I'm sure, I thought she was with the Russian at the time, obviously wrong.

Are you thinking of Malinka - he was a computer whizz kid who was helping Murat set up a website, I think.

mossman, this is uncanny, I just remembered his name , go to post it and you already have.
Yes, he was the one whose computer was taken away and car burnt, I thought he was the boyfriend of Micheala.
I cannot see these "20 persons of interest" being of sufficient interest to the Portugese to open the case or even iterview them, they already have been . If this is all SY can produce over 2 years I would say the taxpayer has been grossly overcharged . The McCanns really do have Government support and are the untouchables , what confirmed it for me was my enquiry about Halligen...he was extradited to the US 10 days later !!!!

My thinking too Panda. The McCanns truly are Teflon coated.

dazedandconfused wrote:My thinking too Panda. The McCanns truly are Teflon coated.

Hi dazedandconfused , Cameron fell for the open letter abd I'm sure his friend Rebekah persuaded him to review the case. Another example of his poor judgement and nail in his PM coffin. With this latest news he will probably be criticised in Parliament.

re murrat ive always been on the fence regarding him - what if he has been and given another statement to the police and its portugal that has contacted sy and not the other way around like out uk press are making us believe - what if he played a lesser part maybe let the tapas or someone use a empty appartment and hes confessed now