Maddie could still be alive

The Met are following up 195 leads following the release of a picture of what Madeleine McCann might look like aged nine

The case of missing Madeleine McCann could still be solved says the detective leading the investigative review on her abduction.

Scotland Yard detectives have revealed 195 potential leads after a digitally enhanced picture of the missing girl was released yesterday showing how she might look aged nine.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood says he believes Maddie was abducted by a stranger but refused to reveal the information that suggests she may still be alive.

But urging the Portuguese authorities to reopen their own inquiry, he explained that there were flaws in the original investigation and gaps in the timeline detailing her abduction providing hope that she is still alive.

Met detectives have traveled to Portugal seven times including a visit to the family's holiday apartment in Praia de Luz where Maddie went missing in 2007 when she was three years old.

'What we are not doing is just passively passing through material,' says Det Ch Insp Redwood. 'We are actively seeking to bring closure in this case.'

'It's a complex situation in Portugal and we hope that the Foreign Office will help us with that,' says Met Commander Simon Foy who maintains there is a possibility Maddie is still alive.

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