Police looking for new evidence in the Madeleine McCann case have suffered a 'major blow' to their investigation, a source says.
For the last two weeks, German prosecutors have been carefully examining items recovered during a search of the Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal. However, a source close to authorities has reportedly said that any hopes of the new finds moving the investigation forward are slowly diminishing.
According to the Mirror, they said: "Sadly, it’s looking increasingly like the search of the reservoir will not provide any answers or fresh leads. It’s too strong to say it was a waste of time, but officers are naturally really disappointed.
"They hoped these items would present new clues that they could follow up. But despite using some of the most high-tech forensic kit available none of the items have proved to be of use," they told the Sun Online.
"It feels like a bit of a roadblock has been hit. However, there are still some items to carry out checks on and the police team will continue to work hard to do all they can to try and make sure no stone is left unturned in checking every single item seized from that reservoir."
Detectives scoured the reservoir - located 30 miles from where three-year-old Madeleine disappeared - for three days in the hopes of recovering new clues. The area had been a favourite hangout of Christian Brueckner, who was named as the prime suspect in the missing toddler's case in 2020.
The 46-year-old described the spot as a "little paradise”, with police flattening an area of woodland near the reservoir and digging holes in their hunt for fresh evidence. After the search ended, lead prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said the items seized would be evaluated by specialist officers.
Police in Portugal confirmed that materials had been sent to Germany for testing.
Christian B is currently serving a seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape of a pensioner in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz but has denied any involvement in Maddie's disappearance.
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