McCanns 'very pleased' with review

Madeleine McCann's parents are said to be "very, very pleased" with Scotland Yard's review of their daughter's disappearance, as it emerged detectives have identified "more than a handful of people of interest" in the case.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell said the review, dubbed Operation Grange, has identified "both investigative and forensic opportunities", and said the people of interest could be explored further, if only to be eliminated.

Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry, who spoke earlier this month about how they were encouraged by the review, have now repeated their support for it.

Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry remain very, very pleased with the work that Scotland Yard are doing and have been encouraged by Operation Grange from the day it began. Beyond that, they simply will not comment on what are police operational matters."

Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal's Algarve on May 3 2007, as her parents dined at a restaurant with friends nearby.

Operation Grange, conducted by Scotland Yard's Homicide & Serious Crime Command, was launched in May 2011.

Mr Campbell said: "The purpose of the review was to look at the case with fresh eyes and there is always real benefit in doing so. The review has further identified both investigative and forensic opportunities to support the Portuguese.

"There is more than a handful of people of interest which could be explored further if only to be eliminated. The key things are to investigate the case and our work is happening to support the Portuguese."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "Our investigative review is ongoing and we are encouraged by the progress we are making. We are reviewing a significant number of documents and continue to identify potential lines of inquiry.

"We can confirm that as part of this process we have identified a number of persons of interest, but any suggestion that the MPS is asking the Portuguese police to make arrests in connection with this inquiry is entirely inaccurate. We are in regular contact with Kate and Gerry McCann and they are kept fully updated on the progress of our work. We also continue to work closely with the Portuguese police and are actively considering our next steps."