Appeal for Irish people’s help in Madeleine inquiry

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann last night appealed to Irish people to help identify a man they say is of “vital importance” to their investigation.

The appeal on BBC’s Crimewatch programme, which also aired in the Netherlands and Germany, featured two e-fit images of the man in question.

The images were drawn from the independent statements of witnesses in the area when Madeleine went missing between 8.30pm and 10pm on May 3, 2007, while her parents dined in a nearby tapas restaurant in Praia da Luz, Portugal.