The chief of the Metropolitan Police has threatened to close the investigation into Madeline McCann’s disappearance.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe today announced that investigators are following one remaining line of inquiry and unless any new evidence comes forward the British arm of the investigation will cease.
Madeleine vanished whilst on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal with her parents in 2007 and despite a high profile search for her, no trace has ever been found.
Speaking on LBC, Sir Bernard said: “There’s been a lot of investigation time spent on this terrible case.
“It’s a child who went missing, everybody wants to know if she is alive and if she is where is she, and sadly if she’s dead then we need to give some comfort to the family.
“It’s needed us to carry out an investigation together with the Portuguese and other countries have been involved.
“There is a line of inquiry that remains to be concluded and it’s expected that in the coming months that will happen.”
The Home Office granted an additional £95,000 to keep the investigation going for a few more months.
Hogan-howe said: “The size of the team has come down radically, we are now down to two or three people in that team, at one stage there were about 30 officers in it.
“There is a line of inquiry that everybody agrees is worthwhile pursuing.”
When asked when the probe will end he said : “At the moment it would be at the conclusion of this line of inquiry unless something else comes up.
“If somebody comes forward and gives us good evidence we will follow it. We always say that a missing child inquiry is never closed.
“First of all, the line of inquiry that is being pursued, that obviously is important and it is important that is resolved, and I think it will be.
“If something new comes forward we will investigate it, but that line of inquiry probably at the moment is the conclusion of this inquiry.”
He concluded “There is ongoing work. There is always a possibility that we will find Madeleine and we hope that we will find her alive.”