New Maddie inquiry to put Algarve back under spotlight
A decision by Prime Minister David Cameron to review the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is expected to throw the spotlight on the Algarve holiday resort of Praia de Luz from where the three-year-old went missing in 2007.
Madeleine’s mother Kate McCann alleged this week that local police were aware of other attacks on children holidaying in the resort prior to Madeleine’s disappearance from the Ocean Beach Club Resort where the family were holidaying with friends.
Mrs McCann, whose book about her family’s ordeal is being serialised by newspapers this week, claims the previous attacks were hushed up by the authorities to avoid damaging tourism to the region but she said the information was included in the police files sent to her after the official Portuguese inquiry into Madeleine’s disappearance ended in July 2008.
David Cameron has now asked the Metropolitan Police ‘to bring their expertise’ to the search for the missing girl, who would have been celebrating her eighth birthday this week.
Details of their action have not been released but a Home Office spokesman told the BBC that the Met would bring a new perspective to the case.
Demand for holidays to the southern Portuguese region does not appear to have been dented following Madeleine’s disappearance and Mark Warner, which the McCann used to book their ill-fated holiday, has continued to feature the Ocean Beach Club.
Mark Warner refused to comment on the likely impact of the Met investigation on bookings and the Algarve Regional Tourism Board did not make anyone available to talk
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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