Madeleine hunt linked to Argentina

THE hunt for abducted Madeleine McCann was linked to South America yesterday for the first time.

It is understood a mysterious call claiming to know the whereabouts of the four-year-old came from a mobile phone registered in Argentina.

The “credible” call was considered so potentially significant that the McCanns halted their travels in Europe to help police investigate.

They delayed their flight from Berlin to Amsterdam by three hours and plans were drawn up to divert to Britain.

It was thought the McCanns might need to return to Britain to talk to advisers about the call.

The call from the pay-as-you-go phone came from a man who wanted to speak directly to the McCanns, according to Spanish police sources.

He did not reveal his identity or nationality, but the phone was soon linked to the South American country.

All efforts to re-establish contact with the caller failed on Wednesday and the couple carried on with their journey around Europe.

A British police source said: “The importance of this line of inquiry is still being assessed and attempts to re-establish contact are continuing.”

Although Spanish officials denied they had received the call, a Guardia Civil source told the Portuguese paper Correio de Manha: “Only time will tell if this call gives help or not to the case.”

Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that a man matching the description released by Portuguese police two weeks ago was seen in a bar in Seville a week before Madeleine’s abduction.

It claimed the man was working on the instruction of others and told fellow drinkers he was going to the Algarve.

In Praia da Luz, Mr and Ms McCann planned a trip to Morocco as the final part of their attempt to raise awareness of their daughter’s disappearance.

They are keen to go because of its proximity to Portugal. Several ferries a day leave from Tarifa in Spain for the 35-minute crossing to Tangiers.

The couple are considering catching the ferry to the capital Rabat.

Morocco has surfaced repeatedly in the hunt for Madeleine, with a reported sighting of a little girl seen with a man.

Yesterday the McCanns enjoyed a quiet day in Praia da Luz after a hectic series of visits to Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands.

At the beach they watched as 1,000 yellow balloons calling for information about Madeleine were released into the air.

The balloons were also released in Madrid, London and Manchester.