Police agree to share evidence with McCanns

POLICE agreed to hand over 80 new pieces of evidence about Madeleine McCann’s disappearance to her parents.

As a result, Kate and Gerry McCann dropped their High Court bid to force disclosure of the information held by Leicestershire police.

The police force has been involved in the search for Madeleine since shortly after she disappeared 14 months ago.

The parents, who wanted to avoid a legal conflict with the police or other agencies while at the same time obtaining as much material as possible to help in their continuing search, were content to withdraw their case.

Their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, speaking on the steps of the High Court in London, welcomed the move.

The McCann were not present at the hearing in London. Mrs Justice Hogg said she had not asked for their attendance because “they have suffered enough and I wished to ease their burden”.

The judge urged anyone with information about the missing girl to come forward.

“There is, of course, one person who knows what has happened to Madeleine and where she may be found,” the judge said.

“I ponder about that person — whether that person has a heart and might understand what it must be like for Madeleine to have been taken from those she loved and felt secure with. I hope she will be found soon, alive and well.”

Mr Mitchell said the couple would very much welcome the 80 pieces of information which the police had agreed to release.

“These are 80 potential new leads. We have information we can work on,” he said.

The couple were also looking forward to much greater disclosure of information once their status as “arguidos” or formal suspects was, as expected, lifted by the Portuguese authorities.

Mr Mitchell said: “They will be strengthened by what Mrs Justice Hogg said. In the context of the courtroom, it was a statement she did not have to make. It was extremely supportive and very generous and kind.”

Madeleine vanished from the family’s holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz on May 3 last year shortly before her fourth birthday. No one has been arrested or charged in connection with her abduction.

The couple’s counsel, Tim Scott QC, told the judge there was no proof that Madeleine was alive, “but there is not a scrap of evidence that she is not”.