Madeleine quiz man 'would rather help than hinder'

The man questioned by Portuguese police about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann would rather “help than hinder”, one of his friends said today.

The villa of Briton Robert Murat, formerly of Hockering, near Norwich, Norfolk, has been examined by forensic experts and sniffer dogs. His home is 150 yards from where the four-year-old was abducted.

Today Geoffrey Livock, 71, of Hockering, said: “The police have only taken him in for questioning. Like we were saying in the pub last night, he would rather help than hinder anyone. I don’t know what to make of it. I’m shocked by it.

“He got on with everybody. He used to come up to the pub and have a laugh and joke and have a game of darts or pool.

“His English was very good. If you were talking to him you would think he was more English than Portuguese.

“I didn’t know anyone to dislike him.”

Mr Livock said he had known Mr Murat and his ex-wife, Dawn, for about five years.

He said: “I used to look after the garden next door to where Dawn lives. She moved in with her oldest son who lives there now.

“I would go round for a cup of tea and that’s how I got to know the girl.

“I don’t know how long afterwards but Rob moved in and got a job at Bernard Matthews. He was up there for a while and then he got a job at several garages selling cars.

“He was doing quite well at it. I don’t know what went wrong with the marriage but then he upped and went back to Portugal.

“I don’t know when they married. I think he had an aunt down in the Cornwall area. I think that’s how Dawn got to know him because she had a sister down there.”

A 79-year-old woman, who lives close to the semi-detached home of Mr Murat’s ex-wife, said today: “He was a perfect man, to my mind.”