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Madeleine McCann: Police begin searching Portugal reservoir
Police will today start searching a reservoir in Portugal in a fresh hunt for Madeleine McCann.
The vast space of water was regularly visited by the paedophile suspected of killing Maddie.
Officers sealed off a mile-long stretch of Barragem do Arade, near Silves in the Algarve – 25 miles from where the three-year-old vanished in 2007.
And overnight a no-fly zone covering the whole of the man-made dam was put in place, leaving the airspace above the water and land near the water’s edge where today’s search will focus open to police drones only.
Police divers were seen entering the water earlier this morning, and a police motor boat has also been sent into the water with two officers on it.
Jailed sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, has called the man-made lake his ‘little paradise’.
Divers will explore water close to a dam, with digs also expected in woods close by.
The Policia Judiciaria force said in a statement: ‘In view of the news made public, the Judiciary Police confirms that, regarding the investigation into the disappearance of an English child, which occurred in the Algarve in 2007, steps are still being taken to fully clarify the situation.
‘Within the scope of international cooperation, in the next few days in the Algarve region, new searches will be carried out, coordinated by the Judiciary Police, at the request of the German Authorities (BKA) and with the presence of the British Authorities.
‘Information will be provided in due course on the outcome of the proceedings.’
Local Portuguese reports, partly confirmed by police sources, claimed the searches were requested and authorised after German police obtained videos and photos of Brueckner close to the planned dig site.
The request was made via an international letter of request sent to Portugal’s Attorney General’s office and passed on to prosecutors in Portimao.
Portuguese officials have not yet said when it was received but it is believed to have been about two months ago.
Although this week’s operation has been initiated by German police, Portuguese detectives are showing with the manpower and logistical support they are providing that they are fully on board.
Scotland Yard representatives will be in the area for what has been described as a ‘watching brief.’
Respected Portuguese broadcaster SIC has said the searches, due to last for at least two days and longer if anything of relevance is found, will be 80 per cent land-based and 20 per cent water-based.
In a lunchtime broadcast yesterday it said: ‘Investigators know suspect Cristian Brueckner used to come to this dam regularly.
‘He would call it his little paradise and would often spend the night here. He was seen here often.
‘The German authorities considered this reservoir to be an area of interest and ended up sending an International letter of request or letter rogatory.’
Brueckner is in prison for the rape and murder of a 72-year-old woman, but German police have charged him with multiple child sex offences between 2000 and 2007.
They claim to have ‘concrete evidence’ that Madeleine is dead, and say they found links to her in a van belonging to him.
The German worked in Portugal for years. Prosecutors say phone analysis puts him at the Ocean Club resort she vanished from on May 3, 2007.
Madeleine was taken from a hotel room, where her twin two-year-old siblings were sleeping.
Portuguese police officially made Brueckner a suspect in April 2022.
The reservoir was searched twice in February and March 2008 by divers hired by Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia, who claimed he had an underworld tip-off she was dumped there.
Small bones were found but police said they were not human.
The new search will be the first major operation in the case since June 2014 when UK police were given permission for digs in Praia da Luz using cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar.
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Newcastle’s Liberal Democrats have demanded “urgent” clarity on the future of the city’s main shopping street.
With work on a promised transformation of Northumberland Street yet to begin, the city’s opposition party has called on council bosses to take action on the “increasingly shabby” area. Designs for a major refurbishment of the busy pedestrian route, which Newcastle City Council said would get under way this year, have included installing a series of 50ft lighting pillars, as well as new trees, plants, and seating.
Coun Greg Stone, the Lib Dems’ spokesperson on the city centre, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that there were concerns that the scheme may be pushed back to 2024 in order to avoid a negative impact on shops as the festive period nears. In response, the Labour-run local authority confirmed that it does still intend to start the improvements on Northumberland Street by the end of this year and was in the process of appointing a contractor.
Coun Stone complained that the high street’s paving is “looking increasingly tired”, adding: “The council has an important duty to ensure that the city centre’s public realm and the fabric of our major streets are well cared for and attractive for Newcastle’s citizens, visitors, and businesses. We have been told that renovation of Northumberland Street is on the way for several years now but works on Ridley Place and Saville Row have taken an age and there is no sign of work being imminent on Northumberland Street.
“The decision to avoid construction work during last year’s pre-Christmas trading season was understandable, but the window of opportunity for work to be done this year seems to be closing. There is an urgent need for clarity from the council leadership on their vision and delivery plans for city centre improvements.”
He added: “The Lib Dem Opposition is disappointed that the council’s ambitions for Northumberland Street seem to be more tarmac patches than high quality paving and public realm. We continue to have concerns about the Labour administration’s capacity to manage major projects for the city centre and we may be facing further long waits for delivery.”
A dramatic transformation of the city centre has been the topic of debate for years. The city council has long wanted to pedestrianise the iconic Grey Street and initial works to gradually achieve that are ongoing, but controversial proposals to remove all traffic from Blackett Street were shelved last year.
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: “We are progressing our plans to redevelop Northumberland Street to strengthen its position as the region’s most vibrant high street and encourage higher footfall.
“We are in the process of selecting a contractor to deliver the works and exact details and timescales will be confirmed when this process is complete. The improvements will include full repaving of the street and the introduction of new seating, planting, trees and lighting making it a more welcoming place that can be enjoyed both day and night.
“Northumberland Street is the city’s premier shopping destination, and our plans will reinforce this, setting apart from other streets and creating an attractive destination where people want to spend time.
“The council remains committed to delivering its long-term ambition to transform the city centre into a cleaner, greener, more welcoming place that attracts visitors and investment, and where our residents can feel a sense of belonging.
“The work on Ridley Place is now complete, new street furniture will be installed on Saville Row in the coming weeks and Grey Street should be complete by summer 2024 as planned. The initial works on Northumberland Street will start later this year.”
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Raw sewage was released into open water in Newcastle more than 1,500 times in 2022, figures show.
Storm overflows normally happen when the sewage system is at risk of being overwhelmed – such as after a heavy rain, or during higher levels of groundwater.
In these cases, water companies may need to release excess water and sewage into rivers and the sea, to prevent water backing up into the streets and people’s homes.
This has an impact on the quality of our natural water sources, with some charities alleging storm overflows are being misused and under-reported.
Figures from the Environment Agency show storm overflows were used 1,637 times within Newcastle’s local authority boundaries in 2022, discharging for a total of around 4,724 hours.
All of these spills were from Northumbrian Water’s network.
Northumbrian Water saw 29,697 overspills across its network in 2022 – although 7% of the company’s facilities did not report overspill data last year.
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The government has finally published a list of schools identified with collapse-prone concrete after days of mounting pressure.
The document, released by the Department for Education, showed the start of term had to be delayed at 19 schools – responsible for 11,150 pupils – as a result of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
The list came just before the first Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) since the summer recess, where Rishi Sunak told the Commons the government had “acted decisively to ensure the safety of children and minimise disruption to education”.
The Liberal Democrats’ education spokesperson, Munira Wilson, also called for Mr Sunak to “come clean over his own role in this crisis”, and publish evidence given to him when he was chancellor on the risks to children’s safety from RAAC.
The list of North East schools affected are:
St James Catholic School, Hebburn, South Tyneside
St John Bosco Catholic Primary School, Sunderland
St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Harlow Green, Gateshead
St Leonard’s School, Durham
St Benet’s Catholic Primary School, Ouston
St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, Darlington
Ferryhill School, County Durham
Each school listed will be closed throughout this first week of September!
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