Madeleine McCann case: UK police investigate in Portugal

A Scotland Yard team is in Portugal responding to requests for help with interviewing three suspects.

16:09 29 January 2014

British police are now in Portugal working together with local police officers in connection to Madeleine McCann disappearance.

The Scotland Yard team is responding after they were asked for help in interviewing three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine McCann vanished. 

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "Four detectives from Scotland Yard arrived yesterday to meet their Portuguese colleagues - there's a small team of Portuguese police working in the Algarve on behalf of Scotland Yard.

"We know that among those detectives from London is Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who's the officer in charge of the British end of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance.

"It's certainly not the first time Scotland Yard detectives have visited Portugal - more than a dozen times in the last two years since Scotland Yard have been reviewing and then investigating Madeleine's disappearance has such a team gone to liaise.

"But it could be of some big significance because we know that earlier this month the UK authorities sent what's known as an international letter of request to the Portuguese authorities seeking, we think, help in interviewing three potential suspects."

Sky News have previously reported that Det Chief Insp Redwood’s team were looking for three men who made numerous calls to each other hours after Madeleine disappeared.