Police are now in a race against the clock to find forensic evidence in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who vanished from a holiday home in Portugal 18 years ago.
German investigators have been given until Friday to search an area between Praia da Luz and the cottage where he lived at the time of the toddler’s disappearance in 2007, but it is understood that they will end their hunt at the end of Thursday if they fail to find anything significant.
Christian Brueckner, a suspect in case, is due to be released from prison within months.
A neighbour who lived near Brueckner around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance described him as “quite angry”, and said she would hear him having rows with his girlfriend.
Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann ramped up their hunt of scrubland and abandoned buildings on Wednesday with heavy machinery, including JCB and ground-penetrating radar.
Madeleine was three when she disappeared, sparking a Europe-wide police investigation.
German national Brueckner, who was formally identified as a suspect in 2022, has denied any involvement.
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Key Points
- Police send up drones in day two of the new search for Madeleine McCann
- Digger shifts rubble during search
- In pictures: Police search another abandoned farmhouse
- Mapped: where the renewed search is focused
- What happened on day one of the search
Clock ticks on search for evidence in Madeleine McCann case
08:24
,
Rachel Clun
Police from Germany are resuming their hunt for evidence this morning, with limited time left to find concrete evidence connecting their prime suspect with the case.
Christian Brueckner was first named as a suspect in 2020, but police have not charged him in relation to Madeleine’s disappearance and he has denied any involvement.
Brueckner is nearing the end of a seven-year prison sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in rape in Praia da Luz in 2005.
German investigators were granted permission to search in an area near Praia da Luz just miles from where Madeleine was last seen, but only until Friday, but it’s understood that unless they find anything significant by the end of today they will pack. up and head home.
Watch live: Search for clues in disappearance of Madeleine McCann continues
08:19
,
Rachel Clun
Full report: Search intensifies with police using hi-tech radar close to suspect’s former home
07:01
,
Andy Gregory
Police have turned to specialist ground penetrating radar as searches intensified in the desperate hunt to finally solve the mystery of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
The hi-tech equipment, which can map underground terrain up to 10 feet deep, arrived at a remote area along with a JCB digger on the second day of renewed searches for the missing toddler on Wednesday.
Our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin reports from Praia da Luz:
Police searching up to 21 derelict buildings near suspect's former home
06:03
,
Amy-Clare Martin, in Praia da Luz
Investigators are scouring a string of derelict farmhouses and outbuildings in a remote stretch of scrubland just over a mile from the resort of Praia da Luz, where the British toddler vanished in 2007.
The 120-acre area, off a dramatic clifftop path along the coast between Atalaia and Lagos, is said to have once been populated by a farming community, but has long-been abandoned because it is so arid.
Now up to 21 of these derelict structures are understood to be the focus of a fresh searches initiated by German investigators 18 years after Madeleine disappeared as they face a race against time to bring charges against their only suspect, Christian Brueckner.
Video report: Police continue search for Madeleine McCann
05:05
,
Andy Gregory
Watch: Inside an abandoned farm building in search area for Madeleine McCann
04:06
,
Andy Gregory
Amy-Clare Martin reports from on the ground:
Journalists were able to enter one of the abandoned structures after police spent the morning clearing rubble and debris inside.
The small stone farm building in the remote area of scrubland is strewn with graffiti and there is evidence of old campfires outside.
It appeared police had cleared the floor inside the outbuilding. It is not known if they will return to carry out further searches at the site.
Reports had suggested ground radar will be brought in but crews have so far been using shovels, chainsaws and a digger to remove rubble as they clear multiple sites across the vast stretch of scrubland.
Christian Brueckner says he will 'disappear' following release from prison
03:07
,
Andy Gregory
Speaking to German broadcaster RTL, Christian Brueckner said he planned to disappear after his release from prison.
He is due to be released in September as his seven-year term for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005 comes to an end.
The 48-year-old said: “The fact is that I have been in prison for many years for something that I cannot have committed and that therefore, through the participation of the media, half the world considers me a cruel rapist.”
Search expected to end on Thursday if no significant evidence found
02:09
,
Andy Gregory
The fresh search for evidence in Atalaia is expected to be entering its final day on Thursday.
Portuguese police haven’t been told what intelligence German investigators are acting on, but unless they uncover anything significant by the end of Thursday they will pack up and head home, it is understood.
Madeleine's parents not commenting on police investigation, campaign group says
01:13
,
Andy Gregory
Kate and Gerry McCann, who last month marked the 18th anniversary of their daughter Madeleine’s disappearance, are not commenting during the “active police investigation”, the Find Madeleine Campaign said.
Brueckner's former neighbour calls for him to be 'locked away for rest of his life'
Thursday 5 June 2025 00:19
,
Andy Gregory
Now knowing the full extent of the allegations against him, a former neighbour of Christian Brueckner’s in Atalaia called for him be locked away for the rest of his life “because of what he has done”.
Brueckner, who denies any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance, is due to be released from prison in September as his seven-year term for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005 comes to an end.
The former neighbour told The Telegraph that “what’s been uncovered about him is quite despicable”.
Brueckner was also cleared by a German court last year of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
Atalaia resident says it is first time area has been searched for evidence
Wednesday 4 June 2025 23:26
,
Amy-Clare Martin
A British local, who has lived in Atalaia since the 1980s and used to be a neighbour of Christian Brueckner, said she believes it is the first time police have searched the area.
The resident, who used to ride her horse around the 120-acre remote area being searched by police, said the farmhouses and outbuildings on the site have been derelict since at least the 80s.
“It is the first time I've heard of Atalaia being searched,” she said. “I know the properties because I used go the up there all the time with my horse. I know exactly where they are. Whether he’d been up there or done anything, no clue.”
Brueckner was 'angry' young man, former neighbour recalls
Wednesday 4 June 2025 22:29
,
Amy-Clare Martin
Christian Brueckner was an “angry” young man who could be heard having rows with his girlfriend, a neighbour has recalled, as police scour scrubland near the cottage where he used to live for signs of Madeleine McCann.
The British local, who has lived in the area since the 80s, said she would regularly say hello to the German, who rented a run-down cottage in Atalaia, just outside Praia da Luz, around the time of the British toddler’s disappearance in 2007.
German police are on their second day of search efforts in a string of derelict farm buildings up a hill less than a mile from the property, which is down a remote track with a few houses.
The neighbour, who did not want to be named, described Brueckner – who would have been in his late 20s at the time – as “quite angry” and she would hear him having rows with his girlfriend.
“If I was riding past and he'd be standing outside, we'd say hello, you know, how are you,” she told The Telegraph. “Nothing more. Then we found out he was a really nasty piece of work.”
Suspect due to be freed from jail in three months' time
Wednesday 4 June 2025 21:34
,
Jane Dalton
Prime suspect in the case Christian Brueckner is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005.
He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are made.
In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
Where police are searching
Wednesday 4 June 2025 21:07
,
Jane Dalton
In pictures: Suspect's former house
Wednesday 4 June 2025 20:31
,
Jane Dalton
Watch: Madeleine McCann’s father Gerry describes moment he realised daughter was missing
Wednesday 4 June 2025 20:00
,
Rachel Clun
What happened to Madeleine McCann? Timeline of the 18 year missing girl mystery as new search launched in Portugal
Wednesday 4 June 2025 19:00
,
Rachel Clun
In pictures: Police bring out digger, radar in day two of renewed search
Wednesday 4 June 2025 18:33
,
Rachel Clun
Christian Brueckner was a drifter and sex offender – why did police ignore him when Maddie McCann disappeared?
Wednesday 4 June 2025 18:06
,
Rachel Clun
David James Smith looks back at 17 years of false starts in finding out what happened to Madeleine McCann and asks if the German national will ever face charges over her disappearance:
Why is there a new search in the Madeleine McCann case?
Wednesday 4 June 2025 17:38
,
Rachel Clun
The search is being carried out at the request of the German federal police, as they look for evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner, who is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005.
He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought.
Earlier this year, Brueckner also applied to be released early.
That application came after Brueckner was cleared in October last year by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
He has denied having any involvement in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.
Watch: The Independent reports from abandoned site as police continue search for Madeleine McCann in Portugal
Wednesday 4 June 2025 17:10
,
Rachel Clun
Day two of renewed search: Hunt for clues ramped up with heavy machinery as deadline looms
Wednesday 4 June 2025 16:45
,
Rachel Clun
After using mostly hand tools as they searched scrubland near Praia da Luz on Tuesday in the hunt for clues about Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, police from Germany and Portugal ramped up efforts on Wednesday.
A JCB excavator was used to shift rubble near a derelict farm building, and after using strimmers and chainsaws to clear vegetation, other officers used ground penetrating radar to search for a trace of the missing toddler.
German investigators have until Friday to find concrete forensic evidence linking their main suspect Christian Brueckner to Madeleine’s disappearance.
Brueckner, who has denied any involvement, had lived in the area at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.
He is due to be released from prison by September.
In pictures: Police use ground penetrating radar, JCB in search for Madeleine McCann
Wednesday 4 June 2025 16:17
,
Rachel Clun
Search teams have been using ground penetrating radar and a digger next to a derelict and abandoned property just a few miles from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine McCann was last seen alive.
Mapped: Where police are searching
Wednesday 4 June 2025 15:49
,
Rachel Clun
In pictures: Search of abandoned buildings continues into afternoon
Wednesday 4 June 2025 15:24
,
Rachel Clun
Could ground penetrating radar help in the search for Madeleine McCann?
Wednesday 4 June 2025 15:02
,
Rachel Clun
This week’s search, over a 120-acre swathe of land covered in scrub and abandoned buildings, is the latest extensive search for evidence in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann 18 years ago.
German police leading the latest investigation and their Portuguese counterparts have been seen clearing vegetation around abandoned buildings, wearing protective gear such as hard hats and face masks, and a digger was used to move rubble.
While all previous searches have failed to uncover evidence, this time, it appears that police are using ground penetrating radar to assist the hunt.
The technology uses electromagnetic radiation which is pulsed into the ground to help detect any objects or changes in material under the surface, without the need to dig up large areas of land. It has often been used to search for burial sites.
Portuguese police have been circumspect about the chances of finding any trace of Madeleine - some telling the media the search wasn’t going well, while others said the opposite.
After today, police only have two more days to carry out the search.
Watch: Police continue search for Madeleine McCann in Portugal - The Independent reports from abandoned site
Wednesday 4 June 2025 14:45
,
Rachel Clun
More equipment brought in as tough search continues
Wednesday 4 June 2025 14:17
,
Amy-Clare Martin
Amy-Clare Martin reports from the search site:
Searches are well under way on day two of an operation to find new evidence in the investigation into the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann.
Yesterday police began scouring an abandoned farmhouse and other derelict outbuildings in a remote stretch of scrubland a few miles from Praia da Luz, where the British three-year-old vanished 18 years ago. The Portuguese press reported that nothing significant was found.
Today, searches have been extended to yet more derelict structures spread across the vast area.
A digger was seen moving rubble from one derelict outbuilding and chainsaws and strimmers have been used to cut back trees and brush at multiple search sites.
The press are being held at a distance, but watching them work it is clear they face a tough job to find any meaningful evidence 18 years after she disappeared as they comb up to 21 plots inside the 120-acre area of scrubland.
Shortly before police broke for lunch a piece of equipment which is thought to be ground penetrating radar was brought in to help.
The kit uses radar pulses to map things buried underground.
The German police have not revealed what has prompted them to target these particular sites. But they are running out of time to find evidence linking her disappearance to their prime suspect Christian Brueckner.
He is due to be released from prison by September as his jail term for a separate rape in Praia da Luz comes to an end.
In pictures: More abandoned buildings searched for clues
Wednesday 4 June 2025 13:57
,
Rachel Clun
Where police are searching
Wednesday 4 June 2025 13:36
,
Rachel Clun
The new search area is just a couple of miles from Praia da Luz, the last known location of Madeleine McCann.
Christian Brueckner was a drifter and sex offender – why did police ignore him when Maddie McCann disappeared?
Wednesday 4 June 2025 13:16
,
David James Smith
The assertion that 47-year-old Christian Brueckner could be the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann looked a little thinner when he was acquitted in October on five unrelated sexual offences – two of which involved children – following a trial that began in February 2024.
Brueckner, a German national, remains in jail, serving the final months of a seven-year sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in 2005 at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz — the same hotel where Madeleine went missing two years later.
But as he seeks early release from the 2019 sentence, police in Germany are hurrying to charge the prime suspect in the disappearance of the British toddler before he walks free from prison in the next two weeks.
It is now more than five years since Brueckner was first named and identified as the “prime suspect” in the alleged abduction and murder of Madeleine.
Below, David James Smith looks back at 17 years of false starts in finding out what happened to the youngster and asks if the German national will ever face charges over her disappearance:
Madeleine McCann's parent's not commenting during investigation
Wednesday 4 June 2025 12:36
,
Rachel Clun
The parents of Madeleine McCann won’t be commenting while the current search is underway.
Kate and Gerry McCann won’t make public comments during the "active police investigation", staff at the Find Madeleine Campaign said.
Last month the family marked the 18th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, remembering the then-three-year-old as a “very beautiful and unique person”.
“The years appear to be passing even more quickly and whilst we have no significant news to share, our determination to ‘leave no stone unturned’ is unwavering. We will do our utmost to achieve this,” they said in a statement on 3 May.
Full story: What happened to Madeleine McCann? Timeline of the 18 year missing girl mystery
Wednesday 4 June 2025 12:16
,
Rachel Clun
As the renewed search for Madeleine McCann continues, 18 years after the then-three-year-old girl disappeared from a holiday home in Praia da Luz in south-eastern Portugal, here is a reminder of the events in the case.
Digger shifts rubble during search
Wednesday 4 June 2025 11:55
,
Amy-Clare Martin
Amy-Clare Martin reports from the scene near Praia da Luz:
A digger was seen shifting rubble from inside one abandoned structure deep inside the police cordon as searches continue a few miles from where Madeleine vanished.
Police send up drones in day two of the new search for Madeleine McCann
Wednesday 4 June 2025 11:34
,
Rachel Clun
Police have sent up drones as investigators search a large swathe of countryside in the hunt for forensic evidence linked to Madeleine McCann.
Searchers have used a digger and other equipment including a strimmer to clear scrubland as the search continues near more abandoned farm buildings.
German federal police requested the new search as they look for evidence linking Madeleine’s disappearance to their prime suspect, Christian Brueckner.
