AN ex-police officer from Northern Ireland who worked on the Madeleine McCann investigation has expressed hope as German police carry out a new search in Portugal.
Jim Gamble previously headed the Child exploitation and online Protection Centre and carried out a review of the investigation in 2010.
On Tuesday morning, police divers entered a reservoir at the Barragem do Arade reservoir, which is around 30 miles from Praia da Luz where Madeleine went missing in 2007.
Tents were erected on the banks of the reservoir while officers from Portugal, Germany and the UK held morning briefings.
A police motor boat was also sent into the water with two officers on board, while around a dozen officers with sniffer dogs moved along the bank of the reservoir.
In 2008, a Portugese lawyer previously paid for divers to search the area after being tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleine’s body was there.
German investigators now believe the main suspect, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner (45), spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017.
They allege he killed the three-year-old after abducting her from a holiday apartment.
Currently in prison for a rape offence, he is also facing charges in Germany over a number of separate sex offences allegedly committed in Portugal at that time.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Gamble said his thoughts were with the family as hopes were raised and criticised those making abusive comments towards them online.
He called the latest search significant, stating that German police were leading the investigation with “a very positive line of enquiry.”
Having previously worked with German authorities in the past, he said: “They’re not known to make outrageous or outlandish statements.
“They’re cautious and conservative in their approach, but they’ve been adamant that they’ve got the right suspect and they’ve been adamant, unfortunately, that Madeleine died in Portugal.”
Mr Gamble said he was hopeful the development would be “a deliberate, focused search of particular areas” that took advantage of new technologies.
He added that Brueckner’s profile as a suspect was “absolutely spot-on” as a non-preferential sexual abuse offender involved in burglaries.
Circumstantial evidence also puts his phone at the scene of the crime.
Even after 16 years, Mr Gamble said that human remains such as a skeleton were still likely to be intact and could provide evidential possibilities.
“I genuinely believe we will find out what happened to Madeleine McCann during my lifetime. What I would say, sometimes, in the police you become so fixated on one suspect.
“You have really good evidence, circumstantial and otherwise, and you get tunnel vision.”
He added: “What I would say to anyone listening, is that you need to keep an open mind. This is really positive, but keep an open mind.”
Earlier this month, Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann posted a short statement on their Find Madeleine Campaign website to mark the anniversary of her disappearance.
“Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction," they said.
“Still missing… still very much missed.
“It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel. The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough.”
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