Age-progression film of Madeleine aimed at net users

BRITISH police appealed yesterday for internet users worldwide to spread a new video aimed at pricking the conscience of the key witness who knows what happened to Madeleine McCann.

The one-minute film to be released today includes fresh images of how Madeleine might look now, including one with dark brown hair and tanned skin.

The appeal, launched by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) Centre, is targeted at a friend or relative of the person responsible for the little girl’s disappearance.

Ceop head Jim Gamble said the clip’s message, which is available in English, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, had been crafted with the help of psychologists to persuade the witness to “do the right thing”.

He said: “The person we are looking to reach is likely to be a partner, family member, friend or colleague of the person or people who were involved in Madeleine’s disappearance.

“It is also highly probable that they, or someone close to them, is using the internet to search for any updates that may suggest the police are getting closer to discovering the truth.”

Ceop hopes people will spread the new film — the first appeal of its kind — using blogs, email and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

It features well-known photographs and video clips of Madeleine, as well as three pictures of how she could look now, aged six, if she is still alive.

The US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which developed the age-progression images, released one in May to co-incide with the second anniversary of her disappearance.

But following concerns that it looked “too American”, two fresh pictures have been created.

In one her blonde hair and pale skin are unchanged, but in the second she has dark hair and skin to show how she might appear if she has spent time in southern Europe or north Africa.

In the video Mr Gamble says: “We know that there is someone out there who knows who is involved in her disappearance. They may be keeping this secret out of fear, misplaced loyalty or even love.

“Keeping this information secret only increases the anguish of Madeleine’s family and friends and increases the risk to other children.

“If you know who is involved and are keeping this secret, remember that it is never too late to do the right thing.”

* The video can be viewed at ceop.police.uk