Madeleine McCann 'sightings' revealed
Updated on 03 March 2010
A 2,000 page police dossier containing numerous sightings of girls who resemble missing child Madeleine McCann has been released.
Files containing previously unseen CCTV images and a number of unreported sightings of girls who look like Madeleine McCann have emerged. Investigators hired by the McCann's are demanding access to the files, in the hope of turning up new evidence in the search for the couple's daughter.
One image shows a young girl in Dunedin in New Zealand holding hands with a man in a shop. Another report in the 2,000 page dossier says a British man called George reported seeing a blonde girl who looked like Madeleine being dragged along the road to Faro airport in Portugal on the night she disappeared.
The sightings reportedly cover most of the world, from Europe, to the US, to Hong Kong and Australasia.
New Zealand Police confirmed today they investigated a report that a woman saw a little girl who looked just like her in a Dunedin shop.
Inspector David Campbell, Acting Southern District Commander, said in a statement: "Police were unable to obtain any further information or ongoing lines of inquiry.
"The file was forwarded to Interpol and this is correct procedure under international agreements. The lead jurisdiction, in this case Portugal, directs how the case progresses and has not asked NZ Police for any follow-up to date.
"The file has remained open ever since."
The McCann's family spokesman Clarence Mitchell says Kate and Gerry were "shocked" there had been no follow up to these leads after the Portuguese police closed their investigation. "All the information in these files must go to the private investigators as they are the only people still looking for Madeleine."
Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday apartment in the Algarve village of Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007 while her parents dined with friends nearby.
Despite a massive police operation and huge publicity worldwide, she has not been found.
Her parents insist they will continue to believe Madeleine is still alive until presented with firm evidence to the contrary and have vowed to keep looking for her for as long as it takes.
