Man held in fresh Madeleine search
The parents of missing Madeleine McCann reaffirmed their belief that she is safe and well earlier today, as police forensic teams this evening sealed off a nearby villa, just 150 yards from where the little girl went missing.
Intense police activity surrounded the house lived in by British man Robert Murat.
Murat's mother Jenny, who is believed to own the house, has been running a stall on the seafront in the village of Praia da Luz, Portugal, appealing for information from members of the public about Madeleine's disappearance.
Murat was a regular sight crossing the police tape and approaching the McCanns' apartment following Madeleine's disappearance. He said he was helping the McCanns as a translator. But journalists told police earlier this week that they had suspicions about him.
The Policia Judiciara confirmed that they were questioning a man. A spokesman for the investigation did not confirm the nationality or identity of the person and described it as a "normal development".
On May 4, the day after Madeleine's disappearance when media descended upon the area, Murat made himself known to journalists, chatting about the case but refusing to reveal what his role was initially. He told people that he had a daughter the same age as Madeleine.
A few days later Sunday Mirror journalist Lori Campbell reported him to the Portuguese police because she thought he was suspicious. She said: "Basically he surfaced on Friday afternoon last week and was walking around as if he was somebody official. He claimed that he was just a local guy who spoke fluent Portuguese and English and was helping the family.
"He was coming in and out of the family apartment speaking with the media and acting like he was somebody official. But when questioned about it, he was very vague about his position. He said he just volunteered to help the police with their investigation."
The Policia Judiciara later said that more than one person is being questioned, but no one has been formally arrested.
Earlier, Madeleine's father Gerry McCann said that until the family saw "concrete evidence to the contrary", they continued to be convinced that the four-year-old daughter is "safe and being looked after".
His wife, Kate, also emphasised that the couple had no intention of returning to Britain from Portugal in the immediate future.
Madeleine was snatched from her bed in a holiday apartment in the Portuguese village of Praia da Luz on May 3.
Despite their ordeal, the McCanns said they had drawn strength from the "spiritual outpouring" that they had received both in Portugal and around the world.
Speaking outside the apartment where their daughter was abducted, Mr McCann looked relaxed standing beside his wife, who was holding Madeleine's favourite cuddly toy.
For the first time the couple took questions from the media.
They were asked how they were coping and Mr McCann replied that although it was extremely difficult, they had received help from travel trauma consultants, helping them to look forward and direct negative emotions out of their minds.
He said the process was helping them channel everything into looking forward.
"As far as we are concerned, until there is concrete evidence to the contrary, we believe that Madeleine is safe and being looked after and that's how we can continue in our efforts," he added.
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