POLICE IN ENGLAND have received more than 300 phone calls and over 170 emails in connection with the Madeleine McCann case following an appeal broadcast on the BBC last night.
The Crimewatch programme showed a reenactment of the disappearance of the 3-year-old, who went missing from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007, and established a number of significant changes to the timeline of her disappearance.
Police said they changed the direction of the investigation after a presumed sighting of a man carrying a child towards a beach on the night in question which had been central to the case was discovered to be a false lead.
Madeleine McCann’s parents, Gerry and Kate made a live appeal in the television studio for anyone with information about their daughter to come forward.
Police also released an e-fit of a man who they wish to speak to in a bid to establish if he is connected to the case in any way. The Guardian reports that several people have already called police with the same name of an individual following the release of the image.
“We are extremely pleased with the response to the Crimewatch appeal,” said Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the case.
“The incident room is following up a number of enquiries, having received over 300 calls and over 170 emails with specific lines of enquiry. We will now take the time to follow up these lines of enquiry.”
Redwood said that he will be travelling to Holland today and Germany tomorrow to continue the appeal for information.
“Madeleine remains at the heart of everything we do and I will continue to update the McCann family as more information is received by the incident room”.
The Metropolitan Police have released an interactive map which plots all the new lines of enquiries into the investigation and which can be seen here.
The incident room into the investigation can be contacted at +44 207 158 0126 or at operation.grange@met.police.uk
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