Kate McCann speaks of new hope

MADELEINE MCCANN HUNT: 'NEW TEAM, NEW IDEAS, NEW HOPE'

A CRACK team of British ex- police officers who have joined the search for Madeleine McCann are giving her parents fresh hope.


Kate and Gerry McCann are convinced three new investigators will help solve their daughter’s disappearance and she told a friend yesterday: “A new team, new ideas and new hope!”

The three, paid by the Find Maddie Fund, are now in the Portuguese capital Lisbon.

Kate has made a return trip to the resort where her daughter, now seven years old, was snatched nearly three-and-a-half years ago.

She visited friends in Praia da Luz and went alone to the Catholic Church and wept as she prayed.

A family source said: “Kate has been given fresh hope by her visit to ‘Luz’ and by the fact three new highly regarded investigators are injecting new impetus into the search for Madeleine. She didn’t meet the investigators but stayed with the local Anglican priest Father Haynes Hubbard and his wife Susan, who have become very close friends.

“Kate went out alone to have a break and, of course, to pray for Madeleine.”

Family doctor Kate, 42, spent last weekend in Luz while relatives looked after her twins Sean and Amelia, five.

She is believed to have taken a look at the Mark Warner flat from where Madeleine vanished in May 2007. Infamous Apartment 5a remains empty with its windows boarded up and gates padlocked.

Chief investigator David Edgar has boosted his team with three former policemen: Nigel Brown, who was named Investigator Of The Year after securing the rescue of a kidnapped oil company executive, Dave Carter, who worked in Northern Ireland, and Ray Cooper, who investigated war crimes in Bosnia.

The McCann source said: “They are in Portugal on a semi- permanent basis.

“When new leads come in they are there to chase them up. They are an ideal addition to the team and, in Gerry’s words, have vowed to leave no stone unturned.

“Kate is upbeat because she is convinced they will have new ideas and methods of working, which gives her new hope.”

Last week, the McCanns were said to be “very upset and annoyed” that Jim Gamble, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, has quit over a merger with the proposed national crime agency.

Kate and Gerry said: “He will be a huge loss to child protection…it is extremely saddening.”

She visited friends in Praia da Luz and went alone to the Catholic Church and wept as she prayed.

A family source said: “Kate has been given fresh hope by her visit to ‘Luz’ and by the fact three new highly regarded investigators are injecting new impetus into the search for Madeleine. She didn’t meet the investigators but stayed with the local Anglican priest Father Haynes Hubbard and his wife Susan, who have become very close friends.

aiyoyo wrote:new location, new hope, new ideas are the messages they want to give out!

ufercoffy wrote:" She visited friends in Praia da Luz and went alone to the Catholic Church and wept as she prayed"

How does Tracey Kandohla know that Kate wept if she was alone?

("Hi Tracey, this is Kate McCann - guess what? I went to the church alone today and wept while I prayed...can you make a story about that for this Sunday's edition?")

Ah yes, I remember now...it doesn't matter about the facts in this case as long as it's made to be like a soap opera.



And where's erm...Jo these days when this rubbish is being printed in his beloved Sunday Express?

candyfloss wrote:

ufercoffy wrote:" She visited friends in Praia da Luz and went alone to the Catholic Church and wept as she prayed"

How does Tracey Kandohla know that Kate wept if she was alone?

("Hi Tracey, this is Kate McCann - guess what? I went to the church alone today and wept while I prayed...can you make a story about that for this Sunday's edition?")

Ah yes, I remember now...it doesn't matter about the facts in this case as long as it's made to be like a soap opera.



And where's erm...Jo these days when this rubbish is being printed in his beloved Sunday Express?

ufercoffy you beat me to it

How could anyone know she wept if she was alone?

Because she said so " oh, look at poor me, alone again because Gerry is again pissed off with me and object to my trip. And I cried ...and cried.....and cried.....just thinking about Maddie in the church" Might it be something along that line when she told the journalist.
If journalists were to apply the same investigative diligence and zest as they did the mps expenses all the dirt on them will air for months!



And where's Gerry? Can't he look after the twins, why are they being looked after by relatives.

Are you kidding?
Cant leave them with him - he might pop go to the pub to get pissed without them ....or he might get angry with them.......too risky you know......!

As for the detectives being there on a semi-permanent basis in case new leads come in, it's a bit late now 3 and a half years on. How much would that be costing? I though there was only 450 thousand left in fund to pay for 5 detectives? Three men living in Portugal, the expenses must be quite high . So if they have new hope with these 3 then does that mean hey have lost hope with Edgar and Cowley.

This is the bit I dont understand.....all the detectives in the past were never stationed in Portugal, let alone Lisbon! Why Lisbon? Why not PDL?

Bleating about new ideas, new hope 3-1/2 laters is too little too late.
Why didnt she cooperate with PJ and answer the questions in the first place. Wouldnt cost her a penny for PJ to search for her.
Dont buy the new ideas bullock.
Whatever happens to the PIs HQs in knutsford? Budget carrier get them anywhere so why Lisbon - bet they're digging around to see who witnesses for the trial, anyway got to do with digging info pertaining to the trial.
If they are paid out of the Fund, at this rate, there will be nothing left for their defence - so no logic to station them semi-permanently (whatever that means) in Lisbon.