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Madeleine McCann appeal posters on a car in Paraia da Luz, Portugal, 2008. AP Photo/Paulo Duarte/PA Images

Britain's Madeleine McCann review team travels to Spain

Detectives investigating McCann’s disappearance four years ago met with Spanish authorities recently following reports the child was taken to Barcelona.

BRITISH DETECTIVES investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have travelled to Spain following claims the toddler was brought to Barcelona after she went missing in 2007.

McCann was three years old when she disappeared from her family’s holiday apartment in Portugal’s Praia da Luz in May 2007.

Scotland Yard detectives travelled to Spain last month and spent three days meeting with Spanish police, the AFP reports. Police declined to discuss what led them to Spain or to say if the investigation was following up on reports McCann had been taken to Barcelona from Portugal.

Investigators had travelled to Portugal in August as part of their case review.

Prime Minster David Cameron and British Home Secretary Theresa May last year requested a Metropolitan Police review of the McCann case following petitions from the child’s family.

However, the review was criticised by politicians who claimed it could divert police resources from other crimes and it would be unfair on other victims of crime. The BBC reports that police chief Sir Paul Stephenson responded by saying that other cases would not suffer as a result of this review.

Responding to a Freedom of Information request recently, the review team said it did not have a deadline for the conclusion of its investigation.

Kate and Gerry McCann recently told the Leveson inquiry into media ethics that they believe newspapers had “made up” stories about their family and the investigation into their daughter’s disappearance. They also suggested that Portuguese police had provided material to the press, despite heavy restrictions on media access to the police in Portugal.

Read: McCanns say newspapers ‘made up’ stories about Madeleine >

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    Mute Thomas Meaney
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    Apr 4th 2023, 7:53 AM

    The days of getting any value for your money has been eaten up by greed in Ireland

    204
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    Mute Noel_Random
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    Apr 4th 2023, 9:00 AM

    Switching energy or broadband supplier is a nightmare. Deliberately confusing tariffs that make it very difficult to compare. Not to mention the time you need to invest. Suppliers should be mandated to provide clear transparent information and to use Plain English. This is what the CCPC should be doing….protecting the consumer, but I have not been impressed by any dealings with them to date.

    140
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    Mute Alan Kenny
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    Apr 4th 2023, 1:04 PM

    @Noel_Random: I find Bonkers very easy to use when switching energy supplier every year. Compares what you are currently on vs whats on market now.

    17
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    Mute Sal Paradise
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    Apr 4th 2023, 1:55 PM

    @Noel_Random: Switching broadband is the easiest thing ever. Pricing is extremely clear.

    Energy is not too difficult either. Just look at unit rate but don’t forget about standing charge.

    7
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    Mute Kate Peters
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    Apr 4th 2023, 5:14 PM

    @Noel_Random: u know what they do,I personally do not know of anyone that reads the terms and conditions,u click yes,or on the phone u agree,if you’re on contract for 12 months,and after 5 r 6 months the bill goes up,I got caught with pinergy,and was told in the terms and conditions that it could happen,I said I want to cancel my contract,it’s 12 euro a month of what’s left to get out of it,the whole system is rigged to the ordinary person..

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    Mute john mac
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    Apr 4th 2023, 7:09 AM

    Nonsense

    111
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    Mute Sean Whelan
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    Apr 4th 2023, 9:14 AM

    That’s funny because last I heard there was over 2 million Irish revolut customers so that’s quite a few people shopping around however a lot of institutions in Ireland are breaking European law by not recognizing ibans from other European countries, maybe if the Irish Central Bank enforced the rules even more people would shop around.

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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Apr 4th 2023, 9:40 AM

    @Sean Whelan: who are the institutions breaking EU law that’s quite the accusation / are you sure you are not getting confused with the need to have an Irish banking licence in the market you wish ti compete / the market is regulated I am pretty sure they are not “breaking eu laws “ without being called out

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    Mute Sean Whelan
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    Apr 4th 2023, 10:03 AM
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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Apr 4th 2023, 1:26 PM

    @Sean Whelan: that was in 2022 when Revolut we’re waiting for approval of their Irish IBAN ( which they subsequently got and notified me to change minths ago / ti be clear I don’t think they were breaking EU LAWS as claimed

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    Mute Sean Whelan
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    Apr 4th 2023, 1:45 PM
    2
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    Mute Brendan Shanahan
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    Apr 4th 2023, 9:58 AM

    Try switching health insurance and be blinded by choice. Still no move on deposit interest rates! Not much choice there!

    42
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    Mute Liam Foy
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    Apr 4th 2023, 9:47 AM

    If €1 is equivalent to 60cent on my fuel bills with the extortionate price gouging by sseairtricity who only use renewables and no gas. Then the CCPC comments are worthless to me. There is the problem they are not protecting me or my hard earned Euros. Are they aware that’s in their remit. Ah maybe not because the government gave then toothless laws.

    Imagine being caught up in a vulture funded mortgage where their interest rates are like bingo ball calling at any time for no reason. That the present Fine Gael encouraged to Ireland. But fair play the central bank governor told the government they do not want any laws to regulate this extortion.

    Hear the question? Are we to just live in an economy where everyone euro is really valued at 60cent due to extortion or can the Europeans add an extra 40C onto our Irish Euro so we can live like every other European country.?

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    Mute John Mcmahon
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    Apr 4th 2023, 12:25 PM

    “Shopping around ” has been bandied around for years as the only consumer protection we have
    God Forbid a regulator side with ordinary people for once

    27
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    Mute Eileesh Buckley
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    Apr 4th 2023, 10:16 AM

    Having been through the pain of switching a business account from ulster bank it is a non trivial task. Shockingly we were only contacted by 1 institution looking for our new account details due to our ulster bank IBAN on file with them for payments. Trying to get the likes of eir or our energy provider to update to our new account details was a months long battle. Heck panda never updated our details and only for them leaving the energy market I don’t know what would have happened.

    24
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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Apr 4th 2023, 11:23 AM

    No surprise here. Some Irish have never given up their old ways and cling to them just as they cling to parish pump politics. Aldi and Lidl who have been in Ireland for decades were first shunned because of misplaced pride and a what will the neighbour’s think mentality. Thankful this attitude has changed. Unfortunately,Ireland is still not a nation of comparison shoppers who keep their eye on the ball of getting the most value for their money.

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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Apr 4th 2023, 1:32 PM

    @Don Hogan: to be fair there was a bit more to Aldi and Lidl than pride / their original offering in the Irish market was very limited compared to the choice of offerings from Dunnes Tesco and SuperValu not least in Irish meats and Irish brands that everyone loved / it took them a few years to expand the range to include Irish tastes and trends and then more people continued to actually swap over / there was a bit of brand snobbery for sure but they have both done an amazing job and growing their appeal to Irish shoppers since they launched imo

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    Mute Ivan Dickson
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    Apr 4th 2023, 3:07 PM

    @Dave Hammond: being shopping in Aldi for years now, can see the prices rising there too. Used to spend 40 odd a week for the two of us, now it’s 50 and 60 euros.

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    Mute Kate Peters
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    Apr 4th 2023, 5:10 PM

    If these companies that do these Poll,makes my effing blood boil,why won’t they tell us,where to go if it’s that easy,there are 5 different big supermarkets in the town I shop in,and they are all charging the same,do these so called educated people,think that the people are so stupid,we need to be effing told where to go..in fact I find if u go from shop to shop,it’s more expensive,but the 31st of March,the AIB bank,had no problems taking our fees out,ww bailed them out,gave no help with the covid,and no help either now.but they will up the wages..reading this stuff,drives me so mad

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    Mute Aunties
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    Apr 4th 2023, 6:26 PM

    Save ? In a bank !? Better off having a flutter in the bookies . Basically zero interest offered . Rev or the credit union are the best interest rates for a loan . Price bonds are decent too

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    Mute John Kieran G.
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    Apr 4th 2023, 4:56 PM

    I see. We’re doing it all wrong!

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