British police commence ground searches and digs in Praia da Luz.

[pegasus]

Yes. Should Sandra wish to ask these dogs, she'll need to siarad cymreag...

What happened to searching for evidence, not necessarily a body?

IMO the two Welsh dogs would be capable of finding a concealment place even if its content has been relocated to elsewhere.

[Cariad]

IMO the two Welsh dogs would be capable of finding a concealment place even if its content has been relocated to elsewhere.

Yes, I believe they are on a par with Eddie.

[jassi]

Yes, I believe they are on a par with Eddie.

Ah, the late lamented star, or bete noir to some.

[Alfred R Jones]

I just hope the dogs in PDL do not alert but no corroborating forensics are found...can you imagine the next million dog posts..the alerts prove maddie must have been there

I wonder if we will ever know whether or not these dogs alerted - it would seem that they may have done as areas of interest have been marked out, but then maybe that's as a result of the ground penetrating radar findings.  I suspect if they find nothing we won't be told whether or not the dogs actually did alert.  The area they are searching now is used as a pet cemetery according to locals. 

[jassi]

I wonder if we will ever know whether or not these dogs alerted - it would seem that they may have done as areas of interest have been marked out, but then maybe that's as a result of the ground penetrating radar findings.  I suspect if they find nothing we won't be told whether or not the dogs actually did alert. The area they are searching now is used as a pet cemetery according to locals.

How convenient. What a good place to bury a small body.

[Alfred R Jones]

How convenient. What a good place to bury a small body.

Of course it's the kind of thing locals would know well, holidaymakers not so much.

[Wonderfulspam]

The wasteland, which was once used to grow cabbages, is said to be owned by a company run by Belmiro de Azevedo, a Portuguese entrepreneur ranked the 605th richest person in the world and the 2nd in Portugal.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2647004/Kate-Gerry-McCann-ready-significant-news-missing-Madeleine-British-police-prepare-dig-wasteland-Portugal.html

Cabbage patch kid.

[Silkywhiskers]

As we speak, SY have just moved an old sheet of tin and have begun to excavate under it....

http://news.sky.com/story/1274634/madeleine-mccann-digging-begins-in-scrubland

[jassi]

As we speak, SY have just moved an old sheet of tin and have begun to excavate under it....

http://news.sky.com/story/1274634/madeleine-mccann-digging-begins-in-scrubland

Do you think it was targeted by those pesky dogs?

[Silkywhiskers]

Do you think it was targeted by those pesky dogs?

Oh those useless bags of meat.

I don't know why the British constabulary forks out so much money for their selection, training and upkeep.

Totally useless!

Except - someone's digging for a body......and I personally believe the ground radar went over weeks ago, and led to this dig.

Alongside SOMEONE'S fairytales being smashed to smithereens by the phone pings and recovered call logs.

OOOOPSIE.

[jassi]

Oh those useless bags of meat.

I don't know why the British constabulary forks out so much money for their selection, training and upkeep.

Totally useless!

Except - someone's digging for a body......and I personally believe the ground radar went over weeks ago, and led to this dig.

Alongside SOMEONE'S fairytales being smashed to smithereens by the phone pings and recovered call logs.

OOOOPSIE.

Yes, I imagine something similar - I can't believe they have come to the site cold, with only a week allowed for the dig.

[Victoria]

Yes, I imagine something similar - I can't believe they have come to the site cold, with only a week allowed for the dig.

You think they employed GPR before they started to cut the long grass and hedges back? Seriously?

[jassi]

You think they employed GPR before they started to cut the long grass and hedges back? Seriously?

No, but I'm sure they they studied plenty of aerial surveillance images before ever deciding to set foot on the ground.

[Silkywhiskers]

There is no way any police force IN THE WORLD sends over 30-40 officers (accounts vary) vans full of crime fighting electronica, more dogs, hundreds of ILOR's, on a WHIM.

I know it's a familiar tune with Team McCann - the Police are crap, the dogs are crap - but these are British Police running a British investigation so they are basically accusing the entire British constabulary of being a bunch of Keystone cops determined to waste millions of pounds funding for a treasure hunt that goes nowhere.

Don't forget the military involvement - the Portugese flew an army helicopter over the ground for the benefit of the media.

This was NOT the real thing.  The real thing has already been done, secretly, from heights that meant they did it unnoticed.

Some of those ILOR's would be regarding entailing the Portugese Military staff and assistance.

But carry on!  The bumblers are in PDL, digging a hole for NOTHING!  Yes, 39 senior detectives sent to a foreign country, just for a lucky guess!

Please....this is just getting beyond insane and going toward totally freakin delusional.

[pegasus]

No, but I'm sure they they studied plenty of aerial surveillance images before ever deciding to set foot on the ground.

Possibly including near-infra-red?