Scotland Yard announce that Maddie investigation team cut to four officers.

[Mr Gray]

More or less what I was told a few weeks back but four too many in my opinion.

If Madeleine McCann is alive she will appear of her own volition and not be cause of any investigation however I doubt very much if this will ever happen.  Operation Grange is a perfect example of how not to investigate a missing child case.

no that was the original Portuguese investigation...I forget who actually said that but no doubt someone will remember

[insider]

""We are reassured that the investigation to find Madeleine has been significantly progressed and the MPS has a much clearer picture of the events in Praia da Luz leading up to Madeleine's abduction in 2007.

Events prior to her disappearance yes but even today as this latest news is released the MPS has no clear evidence that Madeleine McCann was abducted and did not merely meet with some sort of accident.

[slartibartfast]

It does seem to read as a winding down message.

[misty]

The Met are now focussing on a few definite lines of inquiry.
That is not the same as "nothing's been found & we've given up".
Still, some people will be happy there should be change from the £2m allocated in June.

[Benice]

no that was the original Portuguese investigation...I forget who actually said that but no doubt someone will remember

Quote

ANTONIO MARINHO PINTO: (translated) I’m convinced the McCann case will feature in Portuguese judicial history as a bad example. What a criminal investigation should not be.
Unquote 

[jassi]

The Met are now focussing on a few definite lines of inquiry.
That is not the same as "nothing's been found & we've given up".
Still, some people will be happy there should be change from the £2m allocated in June.

Oh I think they will carry on until that's all spent

[Alfred R Jones]

You mean you don't know Alfred ?

Shocking as it may be to report, I am unable to read Alice's mind, so no I don't know what he is wondering about.

[misty]

It will be interesting to see if there is a press release from the Portuguese police. Their "source close to the investigation " is unusually slow in coming forward.

[Mr Gray]

Shocking as it may be to report, I am unable to read Alice's mind, so no I don't know what he is wondering about.

good to see the Met have discussed the progress of the case with Drs McCann....or the chief suspects as some like to imagine

[Alfred R Jones]

good to see the Met have discussed the progress of the case with Drs McCann....or the chief suspects as some like to imagine

Yes, and unusual of the Met to quote their chief suspects on their own website praising their efforts too!

Mr and Mrs McCann said: "We would like to thank all the staff from Operation Grange for the meticulous and painstaking work that they have carried out over the last four and a half years. The scale and difficulty of their task has never been in doubt.

"We are reassured that the investigation to find Madeleine has been significantly progressed and the MPS 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 enquiry. "

[Alfred R Jones]

Interesting. Would expect to hear something within the next 6 months. Also interesting that they refer to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann rather then explicitly abduction. Before everyone thinks I'm thinking of the parents - I'm not. There are other theories like woke and wandered that would also fit a disappearance.

The use of the word "disappearance" by the police greatly excites the "sceptic" community, however perhaps they should pause for thought and read the South Yorkshire police page on their investigation into Ben Needham - the same word is used vis-� -vis his case, ie: disappearance.  I don't suppose for one moment that it has crossed any "sceptic" mind that this means the SY Police are considering that Ben's family had anything to do with it though, so why do they get so excited when it's used to describe Madeleine McCann's status?

http://www.southyorks.police.uk/help-and-advice/disappearance-ben-needham

[Alfred R Jones]

More or less what I was told a few weeks back but four too many in my opinion.

If Madeleine McCann is alive she will appear of her own volition and not be cause of any investigation however I doubt very much if this will ever happen.  Operation Grange is a perfect example of how not to investigate a missing child case.

Could you perhaps give us a perfect example of how to investigate a missing child case then?

[Alice Purjorick]

I understand that as meaning that they've now done the bulk of the work and got everything on a database, pending new information that could lead to a breakthrough.

A seemingly innocuous bit of information could come through any time... In the recent Aussie "girl in a suitcase" case, someone recognised the child's quilt, and that tiny detail has led to unravelling a tragic mystery.

Yeah pretty much my idea too but I would add some bits.
1 Yeah that's about it chaps we have progressed it as far as we can and are no farther down the track than the original investigation. Leave behind four bodies to wind it down and field anything that may come in.
2. We are out of here now cos our political masters are pulling the plug on the dosh. We can keep four bodies to wind down and pass it back to the Portuguese.
3. We are almost there and only need four bodies to close it off.
I doubt supporters will like 3.

[Alfred R Jones]

Yeah pretty much my idea too but I would add some bits.
1 Yeah that's about it chaps we have progressed it as far as we can and are no farther down the track than the original investigation. Leave behind four bodies to wind it down and field anything that may come in.
2. We are out of here now cos our political masters are pulling the plug on the dosh. We can keep four bodies to wind down and pass it back to the Portuguese.
3. We are almost there and only need four bodies to close it off.
I doubt supporters will like 3.

Why do you doubt that?  I like 3 the best!

[Mr Gray]

Yeah pretty much my idea too but I would add some bits.
1 Yeah that's about it chaps we have progressed it as far as we can and are no farther down the track than the original investigation. Leave behind four bodies to wind it down and field anything that may come in.
2. We are out of here now cos our political masters are pulling the plug on the dosh. We can keep four bodies to wind down and pass it back to the Portuguese.
3. We are almost there and only need four bodies to close it off.
I doubt supporters will like 3.

The problem with a vacuum is that you can fill it with any old sh*t