Madeleine McCann's parents seek phone hacking probe role


Madeleine McCann's parents seek phone hacking probe role
6 September 2011
BBC

Phone-hacking scandal

The parents of missing Madeleine McCann want to participate in the judicial inquiry into the phone hacking scandal, a preliminary hearing has been told.

They are among alleged victims who want to be "core participants" in the first part of the Leveson Inquiry.

Core participant status means a person is deemed to be specially interested in the subject and may apply for public funding for legal representation.

The inquiry's first stage will examine relations between the press and public.

The investigation is one of a number of inquiries looking at the way the media operates in the UK.

The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee is conducting an inquiry into press standards.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron has asked Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell to conduct a review of the media's relationship with Whitehall.

The prime minister has also asked former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Elizabeth Filkin to oversee a review of the media's relationship with the Metropolitan Police.

Tuesday's preliminary hearing was held to consider applications for core participant status.

'Notorious' cases

Lord Justice Leveson will decide who will get core participant status in the next few days and notify applicants in writing.

Barrister David Sherborne told the hearing that he represented a number of alleged victims of general media malpractice who wanted to be core participants, including Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter went missing aged three on holiday in Portugal in 2007, Mr Mosley and Chris Jefferies, the former landlord of alleged murder victim Jo Yeates.

Mr Sherborne said those seeking to take part in the inquiry had been involved in "notorious" cases.

Alleged victims of phone hacking who have applied for core participant status include politicians Chris Bryant, Tessa Jowell, Denis McShane, Lord Prescott and former police officer Brian Paddick.

News International, Guardian News and Media Group, Express Newspapers and the Metropolitan Police are among other applicants who are not in the category of alleged victims.

Associated Newspapers - publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday - are also expected to apply in writing in the next few days.

Improper conduct probe

Lord Justice Leveson said the inquiry would examine the relationship between the press and the public, the press and the police and the press and politicians.

Outlining the planned format for the probe, he said he would initially look into the "culture, practice and ethics" of the press.

The judge said the second stage of the inquiry would consider the extent of any improper conduct.

He said he would hold a series of preliminary hearings before a main hearing.

Lord Justice Leveson said he wanted evidence from experts and members of the public.

The judge said he expected the inquiry to last for several months and aimed to produce a report within a year.
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Ross Hall / Lori Campbell : Articles regarding the McCann case


The following articles regarding the McCann case were written by either Ross Hall or Lori Campbell.









 
The net's closing in
The Sunday Mirror
6 May 2007
Lori Campbell Kate Mansey and Jon Clarke in the Algarve Portugal

Hunt at Black Rock
The News of the World
6 May 2007
Ross Hall & Carole Aye Maung in Praia da Luz, Portugal

I'm sorry Madeleine
8 May 2007
Sunday Mirror
Lori Campbell in Praia Da Luz
(Note: Cuddle cat left on Madeleine's bed)

'Keep hoping, keep looking, keep praying, don't give up'
The Sunday Mirror
13 May 2007
Lori Campbell and Simon Wright in Praia da Luz and Susie Boniface in London

A picture of courage;  
Noddy Shrek Thomas The Tank Engine and Cuddle Cat help Maddie's parents hold it together
The News of the World
20 May 2007
Carole Aye Maung & Ross Hall in Praia da Luz

At night we sleep with our twins to be sure they're safe
The News of the World
27 May 2007
Sara Nuwar & Ross Hall in Praia da Luz Portugal

Maddie's mum can't bear to leave them
The News of the World
27 May 2007
Sara Nuwar &  Ross Hall in Praia da Luz Portugal

We HAVE feared Maddie may be dead
The News of the World
3 June 2007
Ross Hall in Praia da Luz Portugal

We hope whoever took her is sad & not bad
The Sunday Mirror
3 June 2007
Lori Campbell in Praia da Luz, Portugal

We want to grieve in peace

The News of the World
10 June 2007
Ross Hall in Praia da Luz Portugal

It will be so hard to go home.. but it is time to grieve -Dad Gerry 
I feel close to her here. I can't bear to think of going back - Mum Kate
The Sunday Mirror
10 June 2007
Lori Campbell in Praia da Luz

My Father's Day agony over Maddie
The News of the World
17 June 2007
Ross Hall in Praia da Luz Portugal

Maddie mum and dad send thanks to the News of the World
The News of the World
24 June 2007
Ross Hall

Scum
The News of the World
1 July 2007
Ross Hall In Spain

McCanns move out of kidnap resort
The Sunday Mirror
1 July 2007
(Two versions)
Lori Campbell

McCanns move out
The Sunday Mirror
1 July 2007
(Two versions) 
Lori Campbell in Praia da Luz

We're so desperately sorry we left you
Code Madeleine ; NOW Campaign;
Interview; Kate McCann
The News of the World
5 August 2007
Ross Hall

Maddie cops: We're looking for body; 
Code Madeline; Exclusive
The News of the World
12 August 2007
Ross Hall in Praia da Luz Portugal
(Note: Cuddle cat left high up where child could not reach)

Alive when taken
Exclusive Madeleine: 100 Days of Hell 
Kidnapper put cuddle cat on ledge then picked her up. 
The blood spots in apartment are not hers say cops
The Sunday Mirror
12 August 2007
Lori Campbell in Praia da Luz
(Note: Cuddle cat left high up where child could not reach)

Kate's plea: Please stay with us now
Madeleine: 100 Days of Hell
The Sunday Mirror
12 August 2007
Lori Campbell

Maddie parents coming home for twins
Code Madeleine Campaign
The News of the World
19 August 2007
Ross Hall in Praia da Luz Portugal

'We're coming home'
Exclusive Hard-up McCanns plan sad return to UK.. but search for Maddy goes on
The Sunday Mirror
19 August 2007
Lori Campbell in Praia da Luz

Maddy dad's agony
The Sunday Mirror
26 August 2007
Lara Gould and Lori Campbell

Cops are bluffing
Exclusive The search for Madeleine Day 129
The Sunday Mirror
9 September 2007
Lori Campbell in Praia da Luz

'The police don't want a paedophile murder here so they are blaming us' 
Mum tells of nightmare
The search for Madeleine Day 129
The Sunday Mirror
9 September 2007
Lori Campbell in Praia da Luz

The cops could be out of telly Life On Mars
Exclusive The search for Madeleine Day 136
The Sunday Mirror
16 September 2007
Lori Campbell and Simon Wright

Man who could clear McCanns
Secret Maddie Witness; Exclusive
The News of the World
16 September 2007
Dominic Herbert & Ross Hall

Kate's in pieces inside 
Exclusive
The News of the World
16 September 2007
Sara Nuwar and Ross Hall

Why did cops ignore link to Morocco?
Exclusive The search for Madeleine Day 143
The Sunday Mirror
23 September 2007
Lori Campbell

Cops probe nanny's dumped at sea claim
Exclusive Missing Madeleine Day 164
The Sunday Mirror
14 October 2007
Lori Campbell and Grant Hodgson

Kicking sailor 'clue' to body
Exclusive Missing Madeleine Day 164
The Sunday Mirror
14 October 2007
Lori Campbell

Maddie was still alive; Exclusive
The News of the World
14 October 2007
Ross Hall in Praia da Luz Portugal
(Note: Cuddle cat left high up where child could not reach)

Parents face new grilling by police
Exclusive Maddy funds frozen
The Sunday Mirror
11 November 2007
Lori Campbell

Alive? We're 100% certain
Exclusive Search for Madeleine Day 199
The Sunday Mirror
18 November 2007
Lori Campbell

'We know who's got Maddie'
The News of the World
18 November 2007
Ross Hall

We know who took Maddie! (scroll down - 2nd version)
The News of the World
18 November 2007
Ross Hall

We saw Murat outside McCann flat too
Exclusive Search for Madeleine Day 213
The Sunday Mirror
2 December 2007
Lori Campbell

'Best present ever would be if Santa brought Madeleine home'
Exclusive DAY 227: McCanns tell of XMAS anguish
The Sunday Mirror
16 December 2007
Lori Campbell

Fury at claims by tecs
DAY 227: McCanns tell of XMAS anguish
The Sunday Mirror
16 December 2007
Lori Campbell & Grant Hodgson

'Maddy home for Xmas' 'tec takes on NEW case
Exclusive £50K a month.. & he jets off on 'other business'
The Sunday Mirror
23 December 2007
Lori Campbell and Tom Worden

Maddy witness 'oddballs' quiz
Exclusive
The Sunday Mirror
6 January 2008
Nick Owens and Lori Campbell in Praia da Luz

New Madeleine witness quizzed
Exclusive Brit tourist rented McCann apartment
The Sunday Mirror
6 January 2008
Nick Owens and Lori Campbell in Praia da Luz

It's our D-Day
Exclusive Return to Portugal
The Sunday Mirror
13 January 2008
Lori Campbell

Boost for McCanns as cops say she was taken
Missing Madeleine Day 269
The Sunday Mirror
27 January 2008
Lori Campbell

Cops: We were wrong to suspect the McCanns
Missing Madeleine Day 276
The Sunday Mirror
3 February 2008
Lori Campbell

McCann cops: No evidence
The Sunday Mirror
10 February 2008
Lori Campbell

3 up for awards
The Sunday Mirror
9 March 2008

Maddie cops fly to Britain
The Sunday Mirror
23 March 2008
Lori Campbell

Maddie cops not got clue
The Sunday Mirror
13 April 2008
Lori Campbell

McCanns: Our tell-all book
Exclusive Maddie 1 year on they hit back at slurs
The Sunday Mirror
27 April 2008
Lori Campbell

Kate: Please stay with us pray like mad
Maddie 1 year on
The Sunday Mirror
4 May 2008
Lori Campbell

Thanks for not giving up on us
Maddie one year on: Parent's praise our readers
The News of the World
4 May 2008
Ross Hall

5,000 Number of doors knocked on by British cops hunting missing Shannon Matthews ..
433 Number of doors knocked on by the Portuguese cops... Madeleine McCann
Exclusive
The Sunday Mirror
27 July 2008
Lori Campbell

I spotted Maddie's tell-tale eye
I was too afraid to grab her
Exclusive
The News of the World
10 August 2008
Ross Hall

'I saw eye-mark girl.. weeks ago'
Secrets of the Madeleine dossier
The Sunday Mirror
10 August 2008
Lori Campbell

Tapas 7: Why we feared the police would frame us
Exclusive
The Sunday Mirror
10 August 2008
Lori Campbell

English cops would have found Maddie
The News of the World
7 September 2008
Ross Hall

Our little angel
McCanns release new video appeal moving pictures of Maddie's last Christmas at home
The News of the World
21 December 2008
Ross Hall

Our angel! Please let this be our last Xmas without Madeleine
McCanns' new plea
The Sunday Mirror
21 December 2008
Lori Campbell



Lori Campbell is the journalist who brought suspicion onto Robert Murat as the potential abductor of Madeleine McCann.
 
Lori Campbell and Ross Hall *appear* to have originated the reports that Cuddlecat had been found on a high shelf, thus supporting McCann's abduction claims. Ross Hall claimed that the Cuddlecat / high shelf story was uncovered by a News of the World investigation. Lori Campbell claimed the information came from a police source.

Ross Hall and Lori Campbell are allegedly now married after traveling the world for a year.  

Ross Hall (formerly writing as "Ross Hindley") is apparently the originator of the "Dear Neville" email - at the center of the News of the World hacking scandal.   

The email was sent in 2005, two years prior to Madeleine McCann's disappearance. 


Ross Hall was allegedly the reporter arrested in connection with the hacking probe early Sept 2011.

Also See: 
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Are Ross Hindley and Ross Hall one and the same person


Supplementary written evidence submitted by News International Ltd
December 2009
Press standards, privacy and libel - Culture, Media and Sport Committee


Committee question 1:

Are Ross Hindley and Ross Hall one and the same person?

Answer:

Yes

Committee question 2:

Can you confirm his birth name is in fact Ross Hall and his date of birth is 31 January 1981 (making him 28, not 20 as Tom Crone told us Q 1369).

Answer:

We have always understood his birth name to be Ross Hindley. Regarding his age, yes, that is his birthday. Mr Crone's answer was given in response to what seemed to be a provocative and inaccurate comment and question from Paul Farrelly. The context, seen on the film and transcript (relevant pages enclosed) shows he was doing his best to correct Mr Farrelly's inaccurate suggestion that Ross Hall "had to go to Peru" because he was "posted there" by News Group Newspapers Ltd Mr Crone did not know Ross Hall's exact age but understood him to be significantly younger than 28. He was trying to convey to Mr Farrelly that he was a very young man who had taken off to see the world and the exact answer he gave was "...He's 20 years old; he's got...however old he is...."—Mr Farrelly then interrupted with another question. Had Mr Crone been allowed to finish the answer, it might have been clear that he was not sure of the exact age.

Committee question 3:

Can you confirm that he is the same Ross Hindley, who is the nephew of former NotW editor Phil Hall, worked up to 2005 with the Romford Recorder and Ilford Recorder and was named Essex Young Journalist of the Year in 2004.

Answer:

Yes, he is Phil Hall's nephew. Since he was around 15-16 years of age he worked on the News of the World during school and college holidays and quite often on Saturdays. His role seemed to have been as a messenger or as the person who, late on Saturdays, stood in at the Editor's PA's desk to mind the phone after the Editor's PA left the office. We have no records of his other previous employment but understand he trained and worked for the Archant Group of newspapers in Essex for a while before coming full-time to the News of the World in 2005. We have (through Google) found a record of him being "highly commended" for Essex Young Journalist 2004 but not winning that award.

Committee question 4:

Can you confirm when he joined the staff of the NotW, that prior to 2005 he freelanced for NotW (and from when), and what his current employment position is (Tom Crone told us Hindley was then "in Peru" (Q 1364) and "on holiday" (Q1368)).

Answer:

Please see the previous answer. Our understanding is that Ross Hall is still on his travels. We have no knowledge whether he is currently employed.

Committee question 5:

Can you explain why he changed his name for bylines from Hindley, which he appears to have used in NotW up to September 2006, to Hall?

Answer:

We believe he took his mother's maiden name (Hall) after and because his parents separated.
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Maddie TV hope


Maddie TV hope
New evidence to be shown in reconstruction
5 April 2009
The News of the World
Neville Thurlbeck


A telly reconstruction of the hours leading up to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will contain vital evidence about new suspects.

A Channel 4 documentary will feature witness statements never released by Portuguese police. .

They have been scrutinised by programme-makers and will be broadcast to mark the second anniversary of Maddie's disappearance as part of a renewed bid to find the tot. Her parents Kate and Gerry are collaborating with the Channel 4 team.

Maddie was three when she went missing on May 3, 2007, in the resort of Praia da Luz. Gerry has returned there with two of the "Tapas Nine"—Jane Tanner and Matthew Oldfield. They were dining with the McCanns the night Madeleine vanished and are also helping with the programme.

But Kate has remained at the couple's home in Rothley, Leics. She felt unable to cope with returning to Portugal.

A lookalike actress will play her in the reconstruction, while the daughter of one of the pals will take on the role of Maddie.

The McCann's spokesman Clarence Mitchell said:

"There are pieces of witness testimony which have not been released.

These include the suspicious behaviour of several individuals in the area where Madeleine disappeared both before and after she went missing.

"We hope that it will jog someone's memory. This documentary will give a whole new sense to what happened on that night."

The programme will be shown on May 7.
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Our angel! Please let this be our last Xmas without Madeleine


Please let this be our last XMAS without Madeleine
Our angel! Please let this be our last Xmas without Madeleine
McCanns' new plea
The Sunday Mirror
21 December 2008
Lori Campbell


In heartbreaking pictures showing her last Christmas at home, missing Madeleine McCann is dressed as an angel.

The images from a 2006 family video were yesterday released for the first time by her parents Kate and Gerry, who begged in a Christmas message: "Please let this be our last without her."

The anguished couple hope the footage of Madeline, then three, playing happily with the couple's younger twins Sean and Amelie will spark the breakthrough they are still desperately waiting for.

Relaunching their campaign to find Madeleine, who vanished from their holiday apartment in Portugal on May 3 last year, Kate and Gerry said: "Christmas is a time for children. Please help bring our daughter back."

In the video, Madeleine dances around in her costume, jokingly hits her father with a soft toy and speaks proudly of her new pink shoes.

She is also seen sitting at the bottom of the stairs of the McCanns' home in Rothley, Leicestershire, flanked by Sean and Amelie.

Madeleine playfully encourages her younger brother and sister to copy her gestures, saying: "Clap your hands together and one, two, three."

She then holds up her new pair of shoes and says: "These are my shoes."

In one clip she is seen turning over a wrapped Christmas present and pointing at the camera as smiling mum Kate holds her.

The short film, which has Snow Patrol's hit song Chasing Cars as its soundtrack, also features a montage of clips of Madeleine, including previously unseen images of her as a baby.

It also includes a direct emotional appeal from Kate and Gerry to anyone in the world who knows where their daughter is.

The film closes with the words: "This will be our second Christmas without our daughter. Please help us make sure we don't have a third."

The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry do not wish to say anything further. They feel the video will speak for itself.

"This message is entirely focused on Madeleine, as it should be at this time of year. Kate and Gerry are still very much continuing a lot of hard work behind the scenes in the search for their daughter. This, they feel, is a timely and appropriate reminder that she is still out there and that somebody somewhere may still have that vital piece of information that may lead to her being found."

Kate and Gerry will spend this Christmas with close family and friends, but their spokesman acknowledged it will be a "difficult time of year".

Mr Mitchell added: "Producing a video like this is itself making it more difficult. But they are doing it because they believe Madeleine is still out there and they want that piece of information."


 
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Our little angel


Our little angel
McCanns release new video appeal moving pictures of Maddie's last Christmas at home
21 December 2008
The News of the World

Ross Hall

The thrill of Christmas clear on her beaming face, Madeleine McCann plays to the camera in touching new footage appealing for help over her disappearance.

The previously unseen video clips have been released by Maddie's parents Kate and Gerry as they face their second Christmas without her.

For the the first time viewers will hear Maddie's voice as she is shown speaking of her new pink shoes, dancing in a fairy outfit and riding a bike.

It was mostly filmed at Christmas 2006—the last time the McCanns were all together as a family over the festive period. The video shows Maddie sitting on the stairs of their home in Rothley, Leics, flanked by younger twins Sean and Amelie.

Maddie, three and a half at the time, encourages her brother and sister to copy her gestures, saying: "Clap your hands together and one, two, three."

Difficult

She then holds up her present and says: "These are my shoes." Behind the camera, dad Gerry asks what colour they are. Maddie replies: "Pink." She then leaps up and dances around, waving her shoes. The short film uses Snow Patrol's hit Chasing Cars as its soundtrack. Kate and Gerry decided not to appear in the video but say on it: "Please help bring our daughter back. This will be our second Christmas without our daughter. Please help us make sure we don't have a third."

Madeleine was nine days short of her fourth birthday when she vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3 last year as her parents dined with friends.

The McCanns will spend this Christmas with the twins and close family and friends.

Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Producing a video like this is itself making Christmas more difficult.

"But they are doing it because they believe Madeleine is still out there and they want that piece of information."


OUR REWARD STILL ON OFFER

THE News of the World's £1.5million reward for Madeleine's safe return still stands.

Celebrities and business leaders including Harry Potter author JK Rowling and Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green pledged huge sums after we launched our Find Maddie campaign with £250,000.

The offer is subject to standard News of the World reward conditions.

DELIGHT: With pink shoes
SO PRETTY: In fairy outfit
BEAMING: Maddie is full of joys of Christmas in appeal video
EXCITED: She opens present
SMILES: Maddie on her bike
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English cops would have found Maddie


English cops would have found Maddie
Ross Hall
7 September 2008
The News of the World


Kate and Gerry McCann believe missing daughter Madeleine would have been found now if she had disappeared in England rather than Portugal.

Gerry said: "English police have more experience in kidnaps, they are more alert to the problem.

I don't have any doubt it would have been different if Madeleine had disappeared here."

Maddie, five, vanished from her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May last year.

The couple, both 40, from Rothley, Leics, told a Portuguese mag they now keep their other two children, three-yearold twins Sean and Amelie, constantly by their side. Kate said: "We now think about everything that can happen - predators and kidnappers. In shopping centres we never let go of them."

The don't believe the dozens of witnesses reinterviewed by their investigators will lead to Maddie. They think the breakthrough will come from someone linked to the kidnapper.
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'I saw eye-mark girl.. weeks ago'


'I saw eye-mark girl.. weeks ago'
Secrets of the Madeleine dossier
The Sunday Mirror
10 August 2008
Lori Campbell


A little girl with Madeleine's unique eye blemish was seen in the Caribbean just 12 weeks ago.

The sighting is being treated as "high priority" by Kate and Gerry's private investigators as it is the first to mention the distinctive mark in her right eye.

Briton Trevor Francis, captain of a charter yacht, is convinced he saw Maddy on the island of Margarita where he was moored.

The marina is on a direct shipping route from Portugal - where she was snatched. He saw three women in a restaurant on May 16 with a girl he is "85 per cent certain" was Madeleine.

Mr Francis has told British police: "I noticed that the little girl was white with fair hair.

"There are sometimes white children in Venezuela but not as fair as this child.

"She really stood out. She was the absolute image of the missing Madeleine McCann. She was very sullen-looking and refused to eat. She looked unhappy and out of place."

He added: "I shuffled in my seat so I could see 'Madeleine' clearly.

"I was about four or five feet away from the little girl. Her eyes met mine as I walked past and that's when I saw the little blemish in her right eye - it was like a little fleck."

British police advised Portuguese police to treat the sighting as "very high priority", but the files do not say what, if any, action was taken. The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "It is very encouraging that Mr Francis got close enough to see the mark, which we believe is unique to Madeleine.

"Our investigators will be speaking to him."

In another new sighting, Angolan Marco Ventura claimed he saw a girl identical to Madeleine in Portugal, in a Dutch-registered BMW, five weeks after she disappeared.

Two other witnesses have said they saw her in Holland.
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Tapas 7: Why we feared the police would frame us


Tapas 7: Why we feared the police would frame us
Exclusive Friends felt invite would be a trap to nail the McCanns
The Sunday Mirror
10 August 2008
Lori Campbell


Kate gets DIY policing guide to help investigation 
Cop liaison 'irritated' by Gerry emails on case leads

Secrets of the Madeleine dossier

KATE and Gerry McCann's "Tapas 7" friends refused to return to Portugal because they feared they were pawns in an elaborate plot to frame the couple.

And the group of friends believed they too could be made suspects if they returned to the country.

As police files into Madeleine's disappearance are opened, we can also reveal how:

Kate McCann was given a Do-It-Yourself guide to policing by UK cops after Portuguese police failed to find any clues themselves.

Local cops accused the McCanns of shedding crocodile tears just hours after their daughter was snatched.

The Portuguese police officer assigned to them as a family liaison officer criticised them for "reacting negatively to the work of this police force" and became irritated by Gerry's frequent emails.

The 30,000-page dossier reveals how the Tapas 7 decided not to go back to Portugal for a "reconstruction" in May this year because Portuguese police would not give them reassurances they would not be arrested.

The group were baffled as to why police were calling them back for the re-enactment a full year after Madeleine went missing, and demanded to be told how it would help the inquiry.

In an email to police chief Paulo Rebelo in April, the McCanns' friend Rachel Oldfield wrote: "We are still very uncertain of the motives in organising such a re-enactment.

"We feel we would be making ourselves and our families extremely vulnerable by returning."

The friends also hit out at Portuguese detectives' aggressive questioning when they were re-interviewed in the UK.

An email from Russell O'Brien and his wife Jane Tanner said: "The thrust of the... questions seemed only to focus on Kate and Gerry's culpability.

"After a year of lies, accusations and intrusion, I am sure that Mr Rebelo can appreciate our revulsion at what Kate and Gerry have been forced to endure."

The shocking state of the Portuguese investigation is laid bare in the police files, which reveal that British authorities gave Kate a police manual when she became increasingly desperate for ideas to find Madeleine. The technique book gives step-by-step instructions on solving crimes and was handed to the McCanns by British experts.

She desperately bombarded Portuguese police with suggestions on how to further their investigation. The GP even had to tell detectives to take blood samples from the twins in case they had been drugged by Madeleine's kidnapper - something Portuguese police had not thought to do. But they dismissed her ideas as "bizarre".

In his own statement, Inspector Ricardo Paiva, the Portuguese family liaison officer assigned to Kate and Gerry, said: "I noted certain strange behaviour on the part of the couple who were gradually reacting negatively to the work of this police force.

"I was repeatedly told by Kate - three months after Madeleine's disappearance - that the police should do blood analysis on the twins." Insp Paiva also said he became irritated by Gerry who would email him every lead the family received in the hunt for Madeleine.

He said: "Mostly they contained information of little credibility."

Inspector Jose Roque also accused frantic Kate and Gerry of faking tears in the first few hours of the hunt.

He said: "After the search I noticed an unusual situation. The parents were kneeling in their bedroom and they were crying. However, I did not see any tears despite the fact they were making sounds identical to crying."

 
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I spotted Maddie's tell-tale eye / I was too afraid to grab her


I spotted Maddie's tell-tale eye
Exclusive
Ross Hall
10 August 2008
The News of the World


New sighting brings hope to Gerry & Kate

A VITAL new witness in the hunt for Madeleine McCann has told cops: "I saw Maddie. I know it was her-I saw the unique blemish in her eye."

Businessman Trevor Francis is certain he spotted the missing five-year-old in Venezuela just WEEKS ago. Because of the remarkable eye detail, Gerry and Kate McCann regard this as one of the most significant sightings.


********************************


I was too afraid to grab her

Exclusive
Ross Hall
10 August 2008
The News of the World


Witness was sure restaurant girl was missing; Maddie but was fearful of causing a scene

THE British businessman who swears he spotted Madeleine McCann in the Caribbean just weeks ago has told of the haunting moment he saw the tell-tale blemish in her eye.

In a dramatic statement to police back in the UK yacht skipper Trevor Francis, 64, said the girl was with three women in a restaurant on the Venezuelan island of Margarita.

He recalled: "Her eyes met mine as I walked past and that's when I saw the little blemish in her right eye-it was like a little fleck."

And he added: "I wanted to grab her or shout out her name and see what reaction I would get.

"But I was afraid to do anything and cause a scene... a huge ruckus would have erupted and it could have made things worse.

"I decided to get a good look to make sure it was her so I could come back to England and report it."

Unlike all other reported sightings, fresh witness Trevor is the FIRST to get a clear view of the unique blemish matching Madeleine's eye.

McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell last night said the detail of his description was very significant.

He added: "The investigation team are looking into this seriously. The eye makes it potentially more serious than other sightings."

Our revelation climaxes a week in which the Portuguese police case files
were released, highlighting reported sightings across the world since Madeleine went missing from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz a year ago. Many have already been discredited or ruled out.

Pretty

But now the McCanns' private investigators are making urgent enquiries into the Margarita connection. Caribbean islands are on a regular sailing route from Portugal

Divorced dad of two Mr Francis, 64, built and owns a nursing home in Worthing, West Sussex, but spends most of his time on his five-bedroom yacht Northern Seas based in Margarita.

On a recent trip home to check on business interests he made a detailed hand written statement to Sussex cops revealing he's certain he saw Madeleine on May 16 this year in the Lugar de Equenter restaurant in the town of Porlamar.

"I was in there having some lunch," said Trevor. "There was lots of light and nothing to obstruct my view.

"The door opened and three females with a little girl came in. They sat down at a table opposite me about 20 feet away. At first I did not take any notice as I was having trouble with my order. Then I glanced back and noticed the little girl was white with fair hair.

"There are sometimes white children in Venezuela but not as fair as this child. She really stood out. I was transfixed.

"She was the absolute image of the missing Madeleine McCann with chin-length straight fair hair, about four years old, a pretty girl.

"What I noticed most prominently were her eyes-they were big and staring. I shuffled in my seat so I could see 'Madeleine' clearly. I didn't pay much attention to the three women because I was concentrating on the little girl.

"However from what I saw I would say that they were all of Spanish/South American origin.

"Female '1' I can describe as being heavily built, dark short bobbed hair. Female '2' had bleached platinum blonde hair, with a slim build.

"The third had long black hair, she was heavily built. They were late 30s to early 40s. They weren't very pretty. They seemed to be local women as they didn't hesitate at finding a table when they came in and they seemed to know the waiters. One of the women was trying to feed the girl what looked like some sort of pasta dish.

"Although the girl looked healthy and well cared for, she was very sullen looking and refused to eat anything. Something just didn't fit. She looked unhappy and out of place.

"The women were talking amongst themselves and at the little girl. I couldn't understand, they were speaking in Spanish.

"The little girl wasn't saying anything, I watched her for about 20-30 minutes and decided to get a close look as I left the restaurant. Then I was four to five feet away." That was the dramatic moment Trevor spotted the tiny eye blemish. He said: "I haven't been in England for all of the press coverage and updates about Madeleine McCann but I have seen photos of her on the news. From what I saw that day I am about 85 per cent certain that it was in fact Madeleine McCann."

The eye blemish - often referred to as the "mark of Madeleine"-has formed a key part in the campaign to highlight her disappearance. It is played up prominently on posters and videos. It is actually what doctors call a coloboma-or defect-of the iris. Figures suggest it occurs in only about 0.007 per cent of the population.

Witness Trevor's son Ben, 22, of Worthing told us last night: "My dad is a very serious, credible and intelligent man. He's not the sort of person who would make things up. And he'd certainly never lie about something like this." Meanwhile, dozens of specialist police were drafted into Brussels yesterday after a bank security guard reported he saw a girl resembling her on Monday. He spoke out after case files revealed Scotland Yard had warned the child could have been stolen to order for a Belgian paedophile gang.

As detectives studied the CCTV pictures from the KBC bank in the rundown immigrant Molenbeek district, other officers trained in search techniques joined the hunt.

A spokesman said: "We're taking this very seriously. House-to-house searches have started, and numerous people are being spoken to. We're determined to establish exactly who the little girl in the CCTV images is."
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5,000 Number of doors knocked on by British cops


5,000 Number of doors knocked on by British cops hunting missing Shannon Matthews ..
433 Number of doors knocked on by the Portuguese cops... Madeleine McCann
Exclusive
The Sunday Mirror
27 July 2008
Lori Campbell


Portuguese police knocked on just 443 doors in the failed hunt for missing Madeleine McCann.
Their investigation was last night branded "pathetic" by her parents Kate and Gerry, who are furious police did not do more to find their daughter.

There are 7,000 homes in Praia da Luz, the resort where four-year-old Madeleine was snatched - but police went to fewer than one in 10 doors, says a report into the investigation.

In stark contrast, British police probing the disappearance of Shannon Matthews earlier this year knocked on 5,000 doors and searched 2,000 houses.

Nine-year-old Shannon was found in 24 days, whereas Portuguese police have stopped looking for four-year-old Madeleine after 14 months.

A friend of the McCanns said: "The 443 doors would barely cover 500 yards from the apartment where Madeleine was taken. That is shocking and unacceptable."

Police didn't even bother to go out of the resort to question residents in neighbouring towns.

The McCanns expect to see the full police report this week and their team of private investigators will go through every shred of evidence.

The source added: "They will analyse exactly what has and hasn't been done. If it means going back to the very basics of knocking on doors in Praia da Luz, then they will do it.

"The report shows Portuguese police clearly didn't do a thorough job from day one. It is immensely frustrating for Kate and Gerry." Former chief superintendent Dai Davies, who was head of the Royal Protection Squad, slammed the Portuguese detectives' efforts as shameful.

He said: "It is simply ridiculous they only knocked on 443 doors. That would take just a few hours.

"In the UK, officers go to thousands of doors and don't give up until they have a lead. That is basic policing, especially in an abduction case when the child could still be nearby."
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Thanks for not giving up on us


Thanks for not giving up on us
Maddie one year on: Parent's praise our readers
Ross Hall
4 May 2008
The News of the World


Your support keeps us going

THE desperate parents of Madeleine McCann fear the first anniversary of her disappearance offers their last chance of finding her.

Kate and Gerry, both 40, are worried that now the date has passed, Maddie's plight will be forgotten.

Speaking exclusively to the News of the World as they re-launch their campaign to find her, Gerry told us: "This could be the last chance to get our message out there.

"We ask anyone with information to come forward. We're not interested in who you are, we just want to find our daughter."

The McCanns thanked the News of the World and our readers for supporting their efforts to find Maddie, who went missing aged three from the family's holiday apartment in Portuguese resort Praia da Luz.

We offered a Pounds 1.5million reward -the largest in newspaper history- and launched a massive poster campaign across Portugal and Europe.

Darkest

Gerry said: "We can wholeheartedly say a huge thank-you to the News of the World and your readers for their constant and unswerving support of us.

"Even in the darkest days, that commitment didn't waver and having somebody who was prepared to believe in us when almost everyone else had doubts has really helped give us strength.

"To have the News of the World behind us and not adding to that agony has been very important to us. The reward, posters and constant support have all helped.

"Putting flyers on to all of the planes showing Madeleine's photograph was the right message and was exactly what needed to be done at the time."

Kate added: "We are very grateful for everything you have done for us. The News of the World has shown responsible journalism towards a family who are going through an awful ordeal.

"The News of the World has always taken a very strong stance about crimes against children and I think that's admirable."

The couple spoke to us before a special service at their local church-St Mary and St John in Rothley, Leics-yesterday to mark the first anniversary to the day of Maddie's disappearance.

At the service a sobbing Kate spontaneously left her pew to address the packed church.

Standing at the pulpit, she pleaded: "Pray like mad.

"Please stay with us, stay with Madeleine, keep praying."

Earlier, Kate told us she has finally accepted the harsh truth that Madeleine has gone.

She told us: "I think it has become reality now. For an incredibly long time it was very surreal.

"I do have moments where I actually think back to what's happened. What we've gone through and done over the last year.

"Sometimes I visualise somebody going into the bedroom and taking Madeleine. I don't know how somebody could do that. But we're a year down the line and the reality of Madeleine not being here has finally hit home."

Gerry, caringly placing an arm around Kate's shoulder, said: "There are periods where you think, 'Has this really happened?'

"Every day is the same for us in respect of how hard it is without Madeleine. If we hadn't had something positive to focus our energy on this week it would have been quite unbearable."

In a bid to find some hope in their torment, the McCanns are backing a Europe wide abduction alert system.

They want it based on America's Amber Alert scheme-where police immediately inform border patrols, the media and the public about a missing child. But for now they are channelling all their energy into finding Madeleine.

Gerry said: "Since Wednesday we've been flat out with work on the re-launch of the campaign.

Response

"We do think a child alert system is needed but our primary objective is the search for Madeleine. Everything else is secondary."

Their investigative team has been inundated with "hundreds" of new calls and potential leads.

Gerry revealed: "We have had an overwhelming response and we are very encouraged by it.

"We want people to keep coming forward with information."

The couple have tried to keep a normal family life for the sake of their twins Sean and Amelie.

Consultant cardiologist Gerry has returned to work full time though Kate, a GP, has not.

The couple still get stopped in the street by well-wishers which, Kate says, always gives her a lift.

They made a conscious decision to mark the anniversary of Maddie's disappearance in Rothley, not Praia da Luz. Gerry explained: "Our experience of Portugal is tainted. We would have liked to have left there under very different circumstances."

THE BBC last night pulled a film scheduled for today called Madeline-about a runaway orphan and a kidnapping plot-after the News of the World pointed out the insensitive nature of its timing.

Pounds 1.5m reward for Maddie's safe return - details at notw.co.uk
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McCanns: Our tell-all book


McCanns: Our tell-all book
Exclusive Maddie 1 year on they hit back at slurs
The Sunday Mirror
27 April 2008
Lori Campbell


Anguished Kate and Gerry McCann are to write a book about their year of hell since little Madeleine disappeared.

The couple are desperate to tell the truth of their ordeal and plan to publish a tell-all book with the help of a ghost-writer - with all proceeds going to the Find Madeleine Fund.

They have had "countless" approaches by publishers and writers who want to help put their story into words and answer all the unfounded allegations they have faced.

Next Saturday is the first anniversary of the day four-year-old Madeleine was snatched from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

As they prepare to mark the agonising milestone their official spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "It will be the family's story, the only official book. Kate and Gerry are both keen to put the truth of everything that has happened to them on record.

"It will be a detailed account of their experience, from the pain of the night Madeleine was kidnapped, to being named as official suspects in the investigation."

Kate and Gerry have been gagged by Portuguese secrecy laws which ban them from speaking out while they are still "arguidos" (official suspects). They have been forced to stay silent while detectives leak malicious stories about them to the Portuguese Press.

Disgraced police chief Goncalo Amaral, who led the investigation, has angered the McCanns with plans to publish his own story. They have vowed to hit back once suspect status is lifted.

Mr Mitchell added: "A number of books are being published in Portugal and the UK. Kate and Gerry want the public to know the real truth."

The couple have been boosted by an "inspirational" meeting" with US dad Ed Smart, reunited with his kidnapped daughter after nine months. The encounter is shown on Wednesday's ITV1 documentary Madeleine One Year On: Campaign for Change.

'All proceeds will go to the Find Madeline Fund'


 
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Maddie cops not got clue


Maddie cops not got clue
The Sunday Mirror
13 April 2008
Lori Campbell


Police in Portugal will tell prosecutors tomorrow they have come up with nothing new after a trip to the UK in a last-gasp bid to crack the Madeleine McCann case.

They will admit that fresh interviews with the "Tapas Seven" - parents Kate and Gerry McCanns' friends - have yielded no new clues.

An insider said: "They maintained what they said in their original statements. There are discrepancies - but no gaping contradictions."

The three-man police team had hoped to expose inconsistencies in the McCanns' and the Tapas Sevens' stories.

They have been asked to return to Portugal next month to take part in a reconstruction of the night Madeleine vanished from her hotel in Praia da Luz last May.

Police insiders there have said the friends have demanded a private jet and five-star hotels on their return.

But the McCanns' spokesman dismissed the claims as "utter rubbish."

And last night one of the friends urged the Portuguese police to concentrate on the hunt for four-year-old Madeleine.

Jane Tanner said: "If it wasn't such a serious matter some of the things that are being said about us would be laughable."

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Maddie cops fly to Britain


Maddie cops fly to Britain
The Sunday Mirror
23 March 2008
Lori Campbell


Portuguese police are set to fly to the UK on April 7 in a bid to solve the Madeleine McCann mystery.

Detectives have agreed the date with British police and are prepared to spend up to two months in Britain.

But Portuguese public prosecutors have rejected police requests to quiz Kate and Gerry McCann again.

The seven members of the "Tapas Nine", who were dining with the McCanns when Madeleine disappeared last May, will be re-interviewed.

Detectives are thought to be particularly keen to question David Payne, who was the last person outside the McCann family to see Madeleine, Jane Tanner and her partner Russell O'Brien.

The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the friends are keen to help police understand their original statements as soon as possible.
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3 up for awards


3 up for awards
The Sunday Mirror
9 March 2008


Three Sunday Mirror journalists have been nominated for British Press Awards.

Sean Hamilton, who revealed Led Zeppelin's reunion, is up for Showbiz Reporter of the Year.

Lori Campbell's Madeleine McCann exclusives see her nominated as Reporter of the Year.

And Kate Mansey's dispatches from Afghanistan brought a Young Reporter of the Year nomination.
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McCann cops: No evidence


McCann cops: No evidence
The Sunday Mirror
10 February 2008
Lori Campbell


Madeleine McCann's parents were yesterday given fresh hope of being released from their suspect status after Portuguese police admitted they don't have any evidence against them.

A review of the case by homicide experts from the Judicial Police has turned up no proof that Kate and Gerry McCann played a part in four-year-old Madeleine's disappearance.

Attorney General Fernando Pinto Montiero told respected Portuguese newspaper Expresso: "The couple's legal status will be considered at the appropriate moment, depending on various elements still to be obtained."

Legal letters outlining 40 questions police still want the McCanns to answer will be sent to the UK authorities this week.

The newspaper reported: "They will only remain arguidos (suspects) if there are screaming contradictions revealed in the answers to the letters sent to England."
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Cops: We were wrong to suspect the McCanns


Cops: We were wrong to suspect the McCanns
Missing Madeleine Day 276
The Sunday Mirror
3 February 2008
Lori Campbell


Boss admits they were too hasty

Portugal's police chief has admitted his detectives made a huge blunder in rushing to blame Gerry and Kate McCann for their daughter's disappearance.

Alipio Ribeiro said he thought the decision to make them "arguidos" - official suspects - last September was taken too quickly and without proper assessment.

The remarkable admission comes in a radio interview to be broadcast in Portugal today. Last night the McCanns demanded to be cleared immediately and their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Frankly this is a disgrace. It seems that the Portuguese police were not certain of the facts, and the evidence isn't there. Kate and Gerry are very pleased to hear this news - but the most important thing is to focus on exactly where Madeleine is and to work to bring the real perpetrators to justice."

Ribeiro, national director of the Policia Judiciaria which is leading the hunt for the missing four-year-old, told Radio Renascenca: "I think there should have been another assessment before the McCanns were made official suspects. There was a certain hastiness."

The admission is the first by anyone in authority in Portugal that the case had been mishandled.

Portuguese bloggers last night flooded the Internet with demands for Ribeiro to stand down.

One Lisbon-based blogger wrote: "Accusing the McCanns of the death of their daughter without the certainty they did it is disgraceful." No one from the Policia Judiciaria would comment.

THE McCanns' twins Sean and Amelie celebrated their third birthday with a tea party for 50 friends and relatives yesterday. Their parents gave them "a special present from their missing sister".

 
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Is this him?


Is this him?
Exclusive
27 January 2008
The News of the World

Chris Tate & Neville Thurlbeck

Astonishing lookalike found in hunt for missing Maddie

A mystery loner who admits he bears an uncanny resemblance to an artist's drawing of a "creepy" suspect in the Maddie McCann kidnap hunt said last night:

"It's not me in the picture."

But last night when eyewitness Gail Coop (spelling in context-s/b "Cooper"), who helped create the sketches, saw the scruffy man's photo she gasped:


"Oh my God, that's so like him.

"He's the spitting image of the man I saw three times at the resort where Madeleine vanished.

"It's deeply shocking to see my drawing come to life. His cold, emotionless eyes sent a chill right through me."

The 50-year-old granny added:

"I thought there'd be no doubt in my mind if I saw him again."

But when we tracked down the mystery man in our photo, Joaquim Agostinho, 42, who lives a 90-minute drive from the resort, said:

"I did not kill Madeleine and I've never been to Praia da Luz.

"I cannot even drive. I accept that the drawing looks like me. All my friends have been laughing about it during the week saying how much it looks like me."

Astonishingly, despite the amazing resemblance, he revealed that police haven't bothered to question him.

Impossible

He said:

"No, the police haven't spoken to me. But people have been following me and taking pictures of me today and I didn't know what it was all about.

"As I say, I don't drive a car so I couldn't possibly have done what people think.

I did own a motorbike once but I lost it couple of years ago."

Agostinho lives alone in a small flat in Altura, 87 miles east of Praia, where Madeleine was kidnapped on May 3 last year. He added:

"I have no money. I earn a little bit by delivering newspapers to people and for that they pay me with a drink of beer."

As our snap of Agostinho shows, he has a droopy moustache, long, dark hair and prominent teeth, just like the man in the sketch.

Heathcare worker Gail helped an FBI-trained illustrator make a detailed image of the suspicious man she saw in the resort where she was staying-close to the McCanns' holiday apartment and at the time Maddie disappeared.

After the drawings sped around the globe, we photographed a man described as a "weird loner" in his home town, just an hour and a half's drive from Praia da Luz before talking to him.

Yesterday we found Aghostinho touring around the bars of his home town. Unkempt and unshaven in a brown leather jacket and camouflage trousers, the six-footer drank a lunchtime coffee in one bar before moving on to a succession of others.

Later, laughing nervously and looking bewildered in front of Portuguese TV cameras, he held a press conference outside his favourite bar, the Snack Bar Aliha at 5pm.

Our investigations in the small seaside town revealed the man, in his mid fifties, is a college dropout and one-time fisherman who now drifts aimlessly around its narrow streets.

One local told the News of the World:

"He is single and lives alone somewhere in the warren of little streets near the church.

Problems

"At one time he was a very bright student, but had emotional problems and dropped out of education.

"Now he just wanders from bar to bar. Most people know him, he's not known as being any trouble."

The town is a popular tourist spot with Brits and Germans, just 20 minutes across an open border to the Spanish town of Heulva, where five-year-old girl Mari Luz Cortes vanished two weeks ago while on her way to buy crisps from a shop.

Although there is no evidence that Aghostinho has any connection with either disappearance, Gail urged Portuguese cops to question him.

Detectives have claimed pig farmer Joaquim Jose Marques, who wears his hair in dreadlocks, is the subject of her drawing and that he has already been eliminated from their search.

But last night Gail insisted:

"I know with all my heart that Marques definitely was NOT the guy I saw three times in Praia de Luz.

"That man was not the guy in my drawing. But this new man is so much like him.
"I'm amazed the man in the photo is so similar to him. I'm sure the one with the dreadlocks is NOT him. This new man must be interviewed, if only because they need to rule him out of inquiries-and he might even be a vital new witness."

Gail saw the suspect she described three times wandering around the resort. He called at the villa where her grandchildren were playing in a pool, visible from the road, claiming he was collecting for an orphanage.

She said:

"He didn't do anything, but I felt intimidated by his manner.

"I didn't give him any money and he went off on foot, but he must have had a vehicle somewhere."

Meanwhile, there was a bizarre new "sighting" of Madeleine reported last night-in Chile, South America.

An air-conditioning technician in Santiago told police he saw two adults with a young child at a museum in Vicuna five days ago.

He told officers:

"I saw a child with a pair of adults, one of whom closely resembles the police portrait of the possible kidnapper recently released by private detectives hired by the McCanns."


 
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Boost for McCanns as cops say she was taken


Boost for McCanns as cops say she was taken
Missing Madeleine Day 269
The Sunday Mirror
27 January 2008
Lori Campbell


Portuguese police have finally admitted Madeleine McCann probably WAS snatched.

Detectives have launched a fresh review of the case and are now re-interviewing the key witnesses. In the four months since Gerry and Kate McCann were named official suspects, officers have focused their efforts on proving Madeleine died in the family's holiday apartment. Just three weeks ago investigators claimed they had enough evidence to charge the couple.

But yesterday police sources said they now believe the McCanns may be innocent.

The new focus began after DNA tests carried out in a UK lab on blood samples proved inconclusive. And the abduction theory gained strength last week with the release of a sketch of a possible suspect. The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell yesterday said the McCanns were buoyed by the news.

State prosecutor Jose Magalhaese Menezes now believes the couple will not be charged unless a body is found.

 
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