BREAKING NEWS ON BBC - Madeleine McCann case: Police team cut to four

http://news.met.police.uk/news/update-on-the-investigation-into-the-disappearance-of-madeleine-mccann-135459?utm_campaign=mm_email_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sendgrid



The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has today, 28 October announced the new structure and changes to the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

The investigation into what happened to Madeleine continues but with a smaller team of officers. Officers investigating her disappearance have completed the huge task of bringing together and investigating the massive amount of information held by colleagues in Portugal, the United Kingdom investigation and the private investigators working on behalf of the McCann family.

They are now following a small number of focused lines of inquiry that have allowed them to reduce the size of the Home Office funded team.

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in May 2007 have been working through material and following investigative inquiries since the Home Office requested a review of the case in May 2011.

Operation Grange is working to support the Portuguese investigation and this work continues.

While there remain lines of inquiry to follow, the vast majority of the work by Operation Grange has been completed.

This work included reviewing all the material relating to the case which were brought together for the first time and amounted to collating over 40,000 documents from United Kingdom and foreign law enforcement agencies, as well as various private investigation companies.

Officers worked meticulously through the information. Some of the material had to be translated into English, facts had to be cross-referred and diligently analysed to ensure an oversight of what the MPS was examining and to search for new lines of inquiry.

Once this work had been completed the review became a full investigation in July 2012.

The investigation team has taken 1,338 statements and collected 1,027 exhibits. Having reviewed all of the documents, 7,154 actions were raised and 560 lines of enquiry identified, and over thirty international request to countries across the world asking for work to be undertaken on behalf of the Met.

Officers have investigated more than 60 persons of interest. A total of 650 sex offenders have also been considered as well as reports of 8,685 potential sightings of Madeleine around the world.

The Grange team received on average two hundred emails a week, and following the media appeal in October 2013 across three countries, received over 7,000 responses.

For an investigation of this size, the extraordinary circumstances of investigating a missing child four years later in another country, the vast wealth of information and theories, it was always going to be an immense task and required a full team of 29 staff working on it.

With the significant amount of work approaching completion, as with all investigations the MPS has reviewed the staff required to progress the remaining work.

A team of four officers will continue to work solely on the Grange investigation, funded by the Home Office. The enquiry has not reached a conclusion, there are still focused lines of investigation to be pursued.

The officers will continue to be overseen by Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall, the current senior investigating officer, and sit within an existing major investigation team on the Homicide and Major Crime Command. This will give them access to officers within that team should they be required to support further operational activity.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, from the MPS said: "The Met investigation has been painstaking and thorough and has for the first time brought together in one place what was disparate information across the world.

"This work has enabled us to better understand events in Praia da Luz the night Madeleine McCann went missing and ensure every possible measure is being taken to find out what happened to her.

"We still have very definite lines to pursue which is why we are keeping a dedicated team of officers working on the case. We have given this assurance to Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann.

"The Portuguese police remain the lead investigators and our team will continue to support their inquiry. They have extended every courtesy to Operation Grange and we maintain a close working relationship. I know they remain fully committed to investigating Madeleine's disappearance with support from the Metropolitan Police.

"The Met was asked to take on this exceptional case as one of national interest. We were happy to bring our expertise to bear only on the basis that it would not detract from the policing of London; and the Home Office have additionally funded the investigation above normal grants to the Met. That will continue at the reduced level.

"I have overseen this investigation since 2012 and am very grateful for the enormous assistance of the media and public so far which, through the appeals, have generated new information and lines of Inquiry. "

Our decision and rationale has been discussed with Mr and Mrs McCann.

Mr and Mrs McCann said: "We would like to thank all the staff from Operation Grange for the meticulous and painstaking work that they have carried out over the last four and a half years. The scale and difficulty of their task has never been in doubt.

"We are reassured that the investigation to find Madeleine has been significantly progressed and the MPS has a much clearer picture of the events in Praia da Luz leading up to Madeleine's abduction in 2007.

"Given that the review phase of the investigation is essentially completed, we fully understand the reasons why the team is being reduced.

"We would also like to thank the Home Office for continuing to support the investigation.

"Whilst we do not know what happened to Madeleine, we remain hopeful that she may still be found given the ongoing lines of enquiry. "

The remaining Operation Grange officers will be deployed to other enquiries within Specialist Crime and Operations.

Madeleine McCann case: Police team cut to four

2 minutes ago







The number of officers investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been cut from 29 to four, London's Metropolitan Police has said.

http://news.met.police.uk/news/update-on-the-investigation-into-the-disappearance-of-madeleine-mccann-135459?utm_campaign=mm_email_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sendgrid



The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has today, 28 October announced the new structure and changes to the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

The investigation into what happened to Madeleine continues but with a smaller team of officers. Officers investigating her disappearance have completed the huge task of bringing together and investigating the massive amount of information held by colleagues in Portugal, the United Kingdom investigation and the private investigators working on behalf of the McCann family.

They are now following a small number of focused lines of inquiry that have allowed them to reduce the size of the Home Office funded team.

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in May 2007 have been working through material and following investigative inquiries since the Home Office requested a review of the case in May 2011.

Operation Grange is working to support the Portuguese investigation and this work continues.

While there remain lines of inquiry to follow, the vast majority of the work by Operation Grange has been completed.

This work included reviewing all the material relating to the case which were brought together for the first time and amounted to collating over 40,000 documents from United Kingdom and foreign law enforcement agencies, as well as various private investigation companies.

Officers worked meticulously through the information. Some of the material had to be translated into English, facts had to be cross-referred and diligently analysed to ensure an oversight of what the MPS was examining and to search for new lines of inquiry.

Once this work had been completed the review became a full investigation in July 2012.

The investigation team has taken 1,338 statements and collected 1,027 exhibits. Having reviewed all of the documents, 7,154 actions were raised and 560 lines of enquiry identified, and over thirty international request to countries across the world asking for work to be undertaken on behalf of the Met.

Officers have investigated more than 60 persons of interest. A total of 650 sex offenders have also been considered as well as reports of 8,685 potential sightings of Madeleine around the world.

The Grange team received on average two hundred emails a week, and following the media appeal in October 2013 across three countries, received over 7,000 responses.

For an investigation of this size, the extraordinary circumstances of investigating a missing child four years later in another country, the vast wealth of information and theories, it was always going to be an immense task and required a full team of 29 staff working on it.

With the significant amount of work approaching completion, as with all investigations the MPS has reviewed the staff required to progress the remaining work.

A team of four officers will continue to work solely on the Grange investigation, funded by the Home Office. The enquiry has not reached a conclusion, there are still focused lines of investigation to be pursued.

The officers will continue to be overseen by Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall, the current senior investigating officer, and sit within an existing major investigation team on the Homicide and Major Crime Command. This will give them access to officers within that team should they be required to support further operational activity.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, from the MPS said: "The Met investigation has been painstaking and thorough and has for the first time brought together in one place what was disparate information across the world.

"This work has enabled us to better understand events in Praia da Luz the night Madeleine McCann went missing and ensure every possible measure is being taken to find out what happened to her.

"We still have very definite lines to pursue which is why we are keeping a dedicated team of officers working on the case. We have given this assurance to Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann.

"The Portuguese police remain the lead investigators and our team will continue to support their inquiry. They have extended every courtesy to Operation Grange and we maintain a close working relationship. I know they remain fully committed to investigating Madeleine's disappearance with support from the Metropolitan Police.

"The Met was asked to take on this exceptional case as one of national interest. We were happy to bring our expertise to bear only on the basis that it would not detract from the policing of London; and the Home Office have additionally funded the investigation above normal grants to the Met. That will continue at the reduced level.

"I have overseen this investigation since 2012 and am very grateful for the enormous assistance of the media and public so far which, through the appeals, have generated new information and lines of Inquiry. "

Our decision and rationale has been discussed with Mr and Mrs McCann.

Mr and Mrs McCann said: "We would like to thank all the staff from Operation Grange for the meticulous and painstaking work that they have carried out over the last four and a half years. The scale and difficulty of their task has never been in doubt.

"We are reassured that the investigation to find Madeleine has been significantly progressed and the MPS has a much clearer picture of the events in Praia da Luz leading up to Madeleine's abduction in 2007.

"Given that the review phase of the investigation is essentially completed, we fully understand the reasons why the team is being reduced.

"We would also like to thank the Home Office for continuing to support the investigation.

"Whilst we do not know what happened to Madeleine, we remain hopeful that she may still be found given the ongoing lines of enquiry. "

The remaining Operation Grange officers will be deployed to other enquiries within Specialist Crime and Operations.

The Met: "Homicide ..... went missing"

The McCanns: "Abduction"

At least it's staying under the command of major crime& homicide all 4 officers ...

Call me cynical but is it not a bit odd that a petition has been filed just before this latest announcement? It's almost as if someone knew the operation was reaching a conclusion.

Will Ms Wall still be devoting all her time & effort to this, or will she now be overseeing other investigations as well?

'The Portuguese Police remain the lead investigators, and our team will continue to support their enquiry'.  I'm more optimistic than ever, endgame?

costello wrote:'The Portuguese Police remain the lead investigators, and our team will continue to support their enquiry'.  I'm more optimistic than ever, endgame?

My first thought was that you don't need a full "Homicide and Major Crime" team when you have concluded your investigation and are tying up a few loose ends.

I agree costello, endgame.

It may be close to end game, but will it result in a prosecution?

29 Officers dealt with:
40,000 documents
1,338 statements
1,027 exhibits
7,154 actions raised
560 lines of enquiry
30 international requests
60 persons of interest
650 sex offenders
8,685 potential sightings
200 emails per week
7,000 responses to the media appeal in October 2013

I think that blows the petition for information on how the money was spent out of the water doesn't it?

"No suspects for Madeleine’s abduction have been charged but the Met said 60 “persons of interest” had been investigated, 650 sex offenders considered and 8,685 potential sightings of the girl investigated"

in 4 years it looks as if they have investigated every plausible abductor but there have been no charges and now the team is being reduced to 4, suggesting that they have run out of suspects
so there must be some other explanation I suppose

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/madeleine-mccann-investigation-scaled-back-as-police-downsize-team-of-officers-from-29-to-4-a6712151.html

Poe wrote:

costello wrote:'The Portuguese Police remain the lead investigators, and our team will continue to support their enquiry'.  I'm more optimistic than ever, endgame?

My first thought was that you don't need a full "Homicide and Major Crime" team when you have concluded your investigation and are tying up a few loose ends.

I agree costello, endgame.

Plus the fund is apparently being investigated. For whatever reason .....

I feel very positive about this

Poe wrote:29 Officers dealt with:
40,000 documents
1,338 statements
1,027 exhibits
7,154 actions raised
560 lines of enquiry
30 international requests
60 persons of interest
650 sex offenders
8,685 potential sightings
200 emails per week
7,000 responses to the media appeal in October 2013

I think that blows the petition for information on how the money was spent out of the water doesn't it?

It was interesting listening to the BBC news as to what hasn't been listed

Telephone records
The ground search

I find it strange that the BBC would pick up on this as they have never been mentioned before.

Wasn't it this year that Portugal said that telephone records could be used in investigations? I do hope so, at least they will find out who the 15 deleted phone calls were from on GM's phone!

I dunno

Being the perpetual pessimist I am, it sounds like the MET are discussing it with the Mcs, as if it has all been undertaken for them alone :-

"Our decision and rationale has been discussed with Mr and Mrs McCann.

Mr and Mrs McCann said: "We would like to thank all the staff from Operation Grange for the meticulous and painstaking work that they have carried out over the last four and a half years. The scale and difficulty of their task has never been in doubt.

"We are reassured that the investigation to find Madeleine has been significantly progressed and the MPS has a much clearer picture of the events in Praia da Luz leading up to Madeleine's abduction in 2007.

"Given that the review phase of the investigation is essentially completed, we fully understand the reasons why the team is being reduced.

"We would also like to thank the Home Office for continuing to support the investigation.

"Whilst we do not know what happened to Madeleine, we remain hopeful that she may still be found given the ongoing lines of enquiry. "

Gerry would have wanted to know exactly what the final leads are - I don`t see how the MET could have discussed it with them without giving details to them.

Have you ever heard about "bluff poker" ...?
Because that's what I think, I see here.

Châtelaine wrote:Have you ever heard about "bluff poker" ...?
Because that's what I think, I see here.

^^^^ I agree Chatelaine. Pinky seems to have been involved in those statements from McC's imo.

Châtelaine wrote:Have you ever heard about "bluff poker" ...?
Because that's what I think, I see here.

I think the `bluff` would have to be pretty damned good to satisfy GM. I can imagine him wanting to know every detail, in fact insisting on it.

I agree, but will he get it ... ?

Châtelaine wrote:I agree, but will he get it ... ?

Ha

The 5.30pm news on BBC Radio 4's PM programme (with the Maddie story as the top item), referrring to OG, said something like:
"they say that most of their work is complete"
of course journalists havent been very good at getting the facts right for the last 8 years, but that is an interesting thing to say.

Mo wrote:

Poe wrote:29 Officers dealt with:
40,000 documents
1,338 statements
1,027 exhibits
7,154 actions raised
560 lines of enquiry
30 international requests
60 persons of interest
650 sex offenders
8,685 potential sightings
200 emails per week
7,000 responses to the media appeal in October 2013

I think that blows the petition for information on how the money was spent out of the water doesn't it?

It was interesting listening to the BBC news as to what hasn't been listed

Telephone records
The ground search

I find it strange that the BBC would pick up on this as they have never been mentioned before.

Wasn't it this year that Portugal said that telephone records could be used in investigations?  I do hope so, at least they will find out who the 15 deleted phone calls were from on GM's phone!

Yes Mo, I read on twitter the phone records are being checked in the Socrates case. If the information is correct.

the Express has some "inside info"

"It is believed they were concentrating on one main suspect, who died two years ago"

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/615298/Madeleine-McCann-missing-search-called-off-Scotland-Yard

Hellsbells wrote:the Express has some "inside info"

"It is believed they were concentrating on one main suspect, who died two years ago"

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/615298/Madeleine-McCann-missing-search-called-off-Scotland-Yard

Who could that have been? Anyone know?