Investigators forensically searching a reservoir in Portugal are reportedly looking for Madeleine McCann’s pink Winnie the Pooh ‘Eeyore’ pyjamas.
Police have been scouring Barragem do Arade, located around 30 miles from where the three-year-old girl went missing from the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve in 2007, in recent days. Water levels at the desolate location, described by cops’ chief suspect in the case as his “little paradise”, are currently very low because of a drought in the area that’s made search conditions ideal.
Officials from Portugal, Germany and the UK are in attendance and officers have been spotted using pickaxes to search the ground and combing through small rocks with rakes and spades. The activity is the first major search in the case since 2014. Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolters said it was prompted by “certain tips” but would not elaborate on the source.
READ MORE: Police informer ‘gave tipoff’ that sparked new Madeleine McCann search – report
Reports claim it was sparked by the discovery of photos and videos showing 45-year-old German native Christian Brueckner, the sole named suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance, near the reservoir. Madeleine’s pink-coloured nightwear adorned with pictures of the Winnie the Pooh character, Eeyore, are the focus of the search, according to The Times.
A Portuguese source close to the investigation told The Sun: “The search is being taken very seriously and is being controlled totally by the Germans. They asked Portuguese officers assisting them to look for any evidence – but especially rags.”
Divers in an inflatable boat have been witnessed at the scene, where the search appears to be focused at one end of the reservoir, with tents erected on a hill on the banks.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: “The Met continues to work with and support colleagues in Portugal and Germany, with their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
“Met officers will be in Portugal and I am grateful to the Policia Judiciaria and Bundeskriminalamt for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleine’s family of any developments.”
Brueckner, a convicted sex offender, reportedly spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017. He has denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
