Police have issued new e-fits of a man they believe might have information about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
The news comes ahead of tonight’s new BBC Crimewatch appeal, where parents Liverpool-born Kate and Gerry McCann will make a fresh appeal for information. It will also feature a reconstruction of the night Madeleine was taken.
Madeleine, aged three, was taken from her hotel room on 3rd May 2007 whilst on holiday with her parents and twin siblings in Praia de Luz, Algarve. Her parents were dining at a nearby restaurant at the time she was abducted.
The man in question was spotted carrying a child towards the beach the night the toddler went missing, though police stress there may be an innocent explanation for this.
The images are based on witness accounts that describe him as being white, aged between 20 and 40, medium height, medium build and clean-shaven.
The timeline of the events have changed, after a new investigation by the Metropolitan Police gave importance to certain sightings.
JMU Journalism Radio: Alex Allen reports
Det Ch Insp Andy Redwood, the senior investigating officer, said he will be travelling to other countries such as Holland and Germany to appeal for information, as the resort in Portugal has widespread popularity as a holiday destination.
He said: “We continue to put Madeleine at the heart of our investigation and I would urge people to watch Crimewatch tonight and if you can help identify this man or have any information about our new appeal points please contact us.”
Speaking ahead of the Crimewatch broadcast, Kate McCann said: “We’re not the ones that have done something wrong here. It’s the person who’s gone into that apartment and taken a little girl away from her family.”
The Madeleine McCann appeal will be broadcast on BBC1 tonight at 9pm.