McCanns 'grief over Madeleine was not fake'

An eye-witness to events on the night Madeleine McCann disappeared today rubbished suggestions her mother’s reaction to the discovery could be suspicious.

The witness, who was present in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, said it was impossible Kate and Gerry McCann could have been “faking” their grief after finding Madeleine missing that night.

And the witness dismissed reports that Kate McCann had run back from the apartment where Madeleine had been sleeping screaming: “They’ve taken her.”

Portuguese Police are said to have found the choice of words suspicious believing it could be possible evidence of a cover-up.

But, speaking to the Evening Standard, the witness, who asked not to be named, claimed Mrs McCann had in fact said: “Madeleine’s gone, Madeleine’s gone.”

The witness added that Mrs McCann and her husband Gerry’s had been so visibly horrified that it was impossible they could have been acting.

The source also revealed police had never put the suggestion that the McCanns’ reactions might not have been genuine to the seven friends they had been dining with before declaring the couple to be suspects.

“It is farcical that detectives could even make Kate and Gerry suspects without speaking to witnesses at the time,” the source said.

“Throughout all of this the police have never come back and asked eyewitnesses whether they could be faking it.”

The account of the events of the night Madeleine disappeared emerged as fresh doubts were raised about the direction of the Portuguese investigation.

Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias today quoted a source close to the lead prosecutor in the case as saying it had reached an “impasse phase”.

Last night Luis Bilro Verao, a prosecutor sent by Portugal’s attorney general to handle the case, announced that no new evidence had yet emerged to justify questioning the couple again.

The couple also took comfort from his disclosure that other lines of inquiry - apart from the McCanns – are not to be ruled out by detectives and no new bail conditions are to be imposed.

Mr and Mrs McCann were formally declared “arguidos”, or official suspects, two weeks ago after lengthy questioning in Portugal before their return to their home in Rothley, Leicestershire.

While they remain arguidos, friends of the family hope last night’s announcement indicates a “softening” in the position of the Portuguese authorities paving the way for an eventual “exit route” from their current situation.

Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell told GMTV: “This is positive news. This is encouraging.

“As the news came through from Portugal last night, I spoke to Gerry on the phone within minutes and ran him through the statement and it is now for the Portuguese lawyers acting on Gerry and Kate’s behalf to assess this accurately, make sure the translations are sure.

“But the fact that they don’t have to go back to be reinterviewed and that they can stay in England at the very heart of their family and support network, and the twins aren’t disturbed any more, is good news and we see it as very encouraging.”

The McCanns are now asking their Portuguese lawyers to examine the statement for a clearer indication of what it means.

Mr and Mrs McCann visited solicitors Kingsley Napley in central London today.

They arrived in a silver people carrier with blacked-out windows at lunchtime with no comment to waiting press except to say: “Hello.”