MADELEINE McCANN UPDATE 35

MADELEINE POLICE FOLLOW 'BODY' TIP-OFF
By Mirror.co.uk 13/06/2007


MADELEINE MCCANN

POLICE searching for Madeleine McCann today started investigating an area of scrubland just nine miles from where she disappeared.

They were following an anonymous tip-off that the four-year-old lies buried under rocks in a barren and deserted area north east of Praia da Luz from where Madeleine was snatched 41 days ago.

The tip-off was sent in a letter to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, giving detailed directions and a map showing where, it claims, Madeleine’s body has been hidden.

There is currently no evidence that Madeleine is not still alive.

The letter said Madeleine was buried "north of the road under branches and rocks, around six to seven metres off the road" in a barren and deserted landscape.

A map came with the letter, with crosses marked on it.

Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa of the Portuguese police said the information was being taken seriously and "everything necessary" was being done to validate the allegation.

"There have been exchanges between Dutch police and us," he said. "The information indicated an area 15km from the place of the disappearance of the little child.

"It is not far from Praia da Luz. We are checking the information like we check everything in this case for importance."