It has been announced that the number of Metropolitan Police staff investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is being reduced.
The Met has said that the investigation has not reached its conclusion however the number of officers working on the case is being reduced from 29 to four.
According to Sky News, the organisation added that “there are still focused lines of investigation to be pursued.”
Madeleine’s parents Gerry and Kate McCann have said that they “fully understand” why the operation has been scaled back.
Gerry and Kate McCann.
They explained: “We are reassured that the investigation to find Madeleine has been significantly progressed and the Met 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 inquiry.”
Madeleine was three years old when she went missing from her family’s holiday apartment during a holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.
Police have reportedly investigated more than 60 “persons of interest” however no arrests have been made.
