Madeleine McCann: Police Tents Erected

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

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Hillsborough Engineer 'Told To Change Statement'

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

A retired structural engineer responsible for the design of parts of the Hillsborough stadium has claimed his former boss made him change a statement about the disaster.

John Strange criticised his employer at the inquests into the deaths of 96 spectators, saying that if you challenged him he would "make life very difficult for you".

Mr Strange told jurors that, before the disaster in 1989, he tried to raise concerns about the way crowd capacity was calculated at the Leppings Lane end where the fans lost their lives.

The witness worked for a firm called Eastwood and Partners, run by Dr Wilfred Eastwood.

Mr Strange said Dr Eastwood had overruled him when he pointed out the formal capacity on the safety certificate was too high.

Mr Strange said his concerns had been overruled by his boss

Inquest lawyer Jon Hough asked him: "Did you argue your position with him?"

Mr Strange replied: "No sir."

He was then asked: "You were at this time an engineer with nearly 20 years of experience?"

"Yes sir," he said.

"Did you not have the confidence to argue your position on a matter as important as this?" Mr Hough asked.

Mr Strange replied: "No. Not with Dr Eastwood."

Current and former Liverpool players mark the 25th anniversary

The former structural engineer went on to say: "I am just one of his employees. I am just a minion and you do not challenge him at all.

"If you did challenge him, he would make life very difficult for you, primarily because he had a financial hold over you and your family.

"If you did challenge him, you could expect retribution."

The employee was asked by Peter Wilcock, a barrister representing 75 families of those who died: "As a decent human being, you should have been racking your brains to say with the benefit of hindsight you did everything you could have to make this ground safe ... would that be right?"

Mr Strange replied: "If certain steps had been taken, we would not be here today."

Flowers left on the pitch on the anniversary of the disaster

The response prompted murmurs among members of the Hillsborough families listening from the public gallery.

Mr Strange said he was a Sheffield Wednesday fan and, although he had been in the crowd at Hillsborough in 1981 when fans were also crushed in an incident at Leppings Lane, he had noticed nothing unusual.

After being shown video footage of fans at the match moving from the terraces and onto the pitch, he said: "Why I don't remember it I have no idea."

The former engineer said he was asked to write a statement for his employer's solicitors after the disaster in 1989 but Dr Eastwood made him change it.

Dr Eastwood, who is now in his 90s, will not be giving evidence to the inquests, which continue.

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Three Women Held Over Murder Of Dorset Nurse

Three women have been arrested in connection with the murder of nurse Rui Li, Dorset Police have said.

The women, aged 25, 28 and 65, were detained on suspicion of assisting an offender.

A police spokeswoman said the women, all from Bournemouth, "are helping officers with their enquiries."

Ms Li's husband Pierre Legris, 60, was charged with her murder last week.

The street in Bournemouth where Ms Li's body was found

His 26-year-old son Jonathan Legris, Ms Li's stepson, was charged with assisting an offender.

Ms Li's body was discovered concealed in a silver Fiat Punto in Verwood Crescent, Bournemouth, on Friday, four miles from her home in Burnham Drive.

A hearing into Ms Li's death heard the 44-year-old died from a blunt force trauma to the head.

The results of toxicology and histology tests have not yet been released.

Ms Li was captured on CCTV leaving Poole General Hospital on May 23

Ms Li was last seen alive by her 18-year-old daughter Lu Yao on the evening of May 23.

CCTV showed her leaving Poole Hospital, where she worked, in her Porsche Boxster earlier that day.

The car was later found outside a property in Wolverton Road.

Pierre Legris is accused of killing his wife at their home in the days leading up to May 31.

The victim's Porsche Boxster was found at a separate address

He appeared in court on Monday and was remanded in custody.

His son has been bailed and is due to appear before Bournemouth Magistrates' Court on June 17.

Police said Ms Li moved to the UK from China a decade ago and had worked at Poole General Hospital since 2009.

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Rihanna Ad Ruled 'Too Provocative' For Kids

A poster advertising Rihanna's perfume has been banned from areas where children are likely to see it because of its "sexually suggestive" nature.

The advertising campaign for the pop star's fragrance, called Rogue, shows Rihanna sitting on the floor, apparently naked, leaning against a wall with her legs raised against the bottle.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the advert is inappropriate to be shown in places where there is the possibility of children seeing it.

"While we did not consider the image to be overtly sexual, we considered that Rihanna's pose, with her legs raised in the air, was provocative," an ASA spokesman said.

"Because of this, and the fact that Rihanna appeared to be naked except for high heels, we concluded the ad was sexually suggestive and should have been given a placement restriction to reduce the possibility of it being seen by children."

The singer often wears revealing clothing

A spokesman for Parlux Fragrances said Rihanna is known for her provocative songs and the advert tried to capture her persona without being "suggesting" or "offensive".

The Barbadian singer wore a revealing, sheer dress covered in thousands of diamonds to a fashion event in New York on Monday.

Parlux claimed most women would see her pose in the poster campaign as empowering rather than demeaning.

The ASA noted Rihanna was mostly covered in the poster and was seen looking directly at the viewer with "defiance rather than vulnerability".

However, one person complained the advert was offensive because it was overly sexual and so the "sexualised and provocative" image should have a placement restriction.

Following the complaint, the ASA ruled the poster must not appear without a placement restriction in order to reduce the chance of children seeing it.

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Rolf Harris Brother: Grope Claims 'Ridiculous'

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter, at Southwark Crown Court

The brother of the veteran entertainer Rolf Harris has labelled as "ridiculous" claims that the star groped a TV make-up artist, a court has heard.

Harris, 84, is said to have put his hands up the woman's shorts and touched her bottom as she applied powder to his face as he prepared for a TV shoot in Australia.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court have already heard how the singer and cartoonist was allegedly described as "the octopus" by some TV production staff because of his wandering hands.

Speaking via video link from Sydney, his brother and manager Bruce Harris said of the claim: "It's ridiculous. I would never have let him do that. He knew I wouldn't have let him do that.

"That's just not possible. I would have shouted at him and made him stop. It never would have happened. It's never something he would have done. I wouldn't have allowed him to do that."

Bruce Harris was also asked when he became aware of the allegations against his brother and he said it was when alleged Australian victim Tonya Lee gave a TV interview in 2013.

He said he then phoned Cathy Henkel, organiser of the 1985 theatre group tour to Britain, where the incident is alleged to have happened, to find out what exactly she knew.

Rolf Harris was accompanied by members of his family

He said that she had told him that she "hadn't seen anything of that kind but it could have happened".

Mr Harris said: "I leaned on her. I said surely you must have seen... they were your group. Surely you would have seen something like that happening. She said she hadn't."

Mr Harris added: "In retrospect I kept on niggling away at her... Tonya's documentary went into great detail about what happened.

"Cathy must have seen something of this. I didn't put any pressure on her."

Under cross-examination from Ms Sasha Wass QC, Mr Harris denied he had known his brother had been questioned by police about sex allegations in November 2012, six months before the TV programme aired.

Asked why he had called Ms Henkel, Mr Harris replied: "I'm protective of my brother. I just didn't believe it. It's not the way I have ever seen him perform."

Mr Harris told the court he would not have gone to the police if he had found the allegation to be true.

Harris, of Bray, Berkshire, denies 12 counts of indecent assault on four women aged between seven or eight and 19 years old between 1968 and 1986.

The trial continues and the jury is expected to retire next week.

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Queen's Speech: 16 Things You Need To Know

Amid cries of a "zombie Government", the coalition has laid out what it claims are "bold measures" in the Queen's Speech.

Sky News looks at the some of the key points from the annual address:

Pensioners can buy a Lamborghini with their savings if they choose

1) Pensioners can buy Lamborghinis - pensioners will no longer be forced to buy an annuity but will be able to spend their retirement savings as they wish. They will get free financial advice. Pensions minister Steve Webb came under fire for saying they should be free to buy Lamborghinis if they wanted to.

2) Change the EU - Britain will fight for reform in Europe and a "stronger role for member states".

3) Benefits cap - a limit on the amounts the Government can pay out in benefits is another of the key measures.

The Government's Help to Buy housing scheme will continue

4) Housing bubble? What housing bubble? - despite warnings Help to Buy could be potentially damaging to the housing market, there is a commitment for ministers to continue to promote the scheme.

5) Sack your MP - voters will be given the power to effectively sack their MPs if they are found to have broken the rules.

6) More academies and free schools - Education Secretary Michael Gove's drive for more state-funded schools that operate independently of the local authority will continue.

England will follow the rest of the UK's lead in charging for plastic bags

7) 5p plastic bags - charges on supermarket carrier bags will be introduced from October 2015.

8) Free school meals - every infant will get free school meals under Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's long-championed scheme.

9) Modern slavery - people traffickers will be given tougher sentences under moves championed by Home Secretary Theresa May.

A tax-free childcare scheme will be worth up to £2,000 per child

10) Childcare changes - working parents will get up to £2,000 of tax-free childcare vouchers. An extension of free nursery hours for more disadvantaged two-year-olds has also been outlined.

11) "Cinderella law" - parents could be jailed for up to 10 years for subjecting their children to emotional cruelty, including withholding affection.

12) Acts of heroism - do-gooders who step in to help others in trouble will be offered protection from prosecution.

Fracking projects have sparked protests in some parts of the country

13) Frack away - shale gas firms will be able to drill under private property without permission.

14) Forces complaints - a new ombudsman will be created to oversee complaints in the Armed Forces.

15) Workers' rights - measures to combat unfairness of zero hours contracts, higher penalties for those who fail to pay the minimum wage and moves to tackle employment tribunal delays are all included.

16) Golden goodbyes in the public sector - excessive redundancy payouts of public sector workers who then take up other posts within the public sector will be limited.

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Body Found In Search For Brit Gareth Huntley

Police on Malaysia's Tioman Island have confirmed that a body has been found in the search for British backpacker Gareth Huntley, who went missing after going on a jungle trek.

Local media reports say the body was found less than 100m from the conservation camp where he was working as a volunteer. 

According to Malaysian newspaper The Star, search personnel stumbled across the corpse in a pond close to a kayak storage unit at around 12pm local time.

The 34-year-old disappeared last week after attempting to find a waterfall nearly four miles away from the camp in the jungles of the paradise island.

Mr Huntley's mother has been notified of the discovery

Deputy Superintendent Johari Yahaya told the newspaper he could not confirm whether the body was that of the missing Briton.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Malaysian police have confirmed that a body has been found on Tioman island in Malaysia.

"Foreign Office consular staff on the ground are continuing to work closely with the Malaysian authorities and are investigating with them as a matter of urgency.

"We continue to provide support to the family of Gareth Huntley at this very difficult time."

The area where the body was found. Pic: Thestar.com.my

Mr Huntley's mother, Janet Southwell, and his girlfriend, Kit Natariga, are on the island off Malaysia's east coast to assist the search effort.

Dozens of rescue personnel have been backed by paramilitary commandos, multiple helicopters, speedboats and sniffer dogs in the latter days of the search following initial criticism of the Malaysian authorities' response.

Mr Huntley's girlfriend (pictured) and his mother are both on the island

Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly spoke to Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak after receiving an open letter from Mrs Southwell in which she urged him to seek more resources for the search.

The letter said: "Make one phone call to the Malaysian leader to insist that they deploy real help to find Gareth before time runs out".

The backpacker had been volunteering in a turtle sanctuary on the island

The 34-year-old from Hackney, east London, set off on May 27 telling friends at the Juara Turtle Project where he was volunteering that he would be back by 2pm but failed to return.

Mr Huntley, who was originally from West Yorkshire, was on a sabbatical from his job in the City.

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Queen's Speech: Government's Agenda Set Out

A house building drive, pensions reform and a commitment to reform the EU have all been put on the agenda for the coalition in its last year.

The speech put the economic recovery at its centre, opening with a pledge to continue bringing down the deficit and cutting taxes "to increase people's financial security".

With the threat that the Bank of England will increase the base rate before the General Election, there is also a pledge to keep mortgage and interest rates low and to continue to promote the Help to Buy scheme.

David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband listen to the speech

David Cameron had suggested he could amend the scheme after Bank of England Governor Mark Carney warned in an interview with Sky News that rising house prices were the biggest threat to economic recovery in the UK.

In an attempt to tackle the housing shortage, the Government announced plans to give developers powers to push through applications without council approval and allowing the Government to sell off unused land for development.

A new garden city will also be built in the Thames estuary at Ebbsfleet in Kent to tackle the housing shortage.

The Black Rod knocks on the door of the House of Commons before the speech

The Prime Minister and his Deputy Nick Clegg claimed the measures laid out in the Queen's Speech were "unashamedly pro-work, pro-business and pro-aspiration".

Just 11 new bills were introduced by the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament, which will bolster Labour's claims the coalition is now a "zombie government" which has run out of steam. Last year there were 19 new bills.

Mr Cameron hit back at claims there was "not enough" in the speech.

The Queen leaves the House of Lords after delivering her speech

He told the House of Commons: "We're creating new laws on producing shale gas... new laws to help build high speed rail... new laws to reform planning to build more homes... we're outlawing modern slavery; confiscating assets from criminals; protecting people who volunteer; cutting red tape and curbing the abuse of zero-hour contracts.

"This is a packed programme of a busy and radical government."

The new carriage carrying Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "We would have a Queen's Speech with legislation which would make work pay, reform our banks, freeze energy bills and build homes again in Britain. A Queen's Speech which signals a new direction for Britain, not one which offers more of the same."

Pension reforms set out in George Osborne's Budget, which would mean pensioners will no longer be forced to buy annuities with their savings, were also included along with a Recall Bill which could see voters given the power to sack MPs guilty of serious misconduct.

Other measures include:

The moment a page boy collapsed during the speech

:: 5p charge for plastic bags

:: powers to allow fracking firms to dig under private property without asking

:: parents to face jail for emotional cruelty to children in new Cinderella Law

:: pledge to fight to keep Scotland in the union

:: limit to excessive redundancy payouts for public sector workers

:: tougher sentences for people traffickers

:: free school meals for infants

:: fines for employers who do not pay the minimum wage

:: £2,000 childcare vouchers for working parents

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Page Boy Faints During Queen's Speech

One of the Queen's page boys has fainted as the monarch delivered her speech laying out the Government's legislative programme.

The boy was around 8ft from the Queen when he collapsed eight minutes and 53 seconds into her speech and very close to the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

The moment was captured on footage of the ceremony.

A loud thud can be heard and a small commotion spotted just after the Queen says the words "comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran".

Help was called and the youngster was carried from the chamber.

The Queen continued with her delivery without faltering and the boy is said to have recovered soon after.

Sky News Royal Commentator Alistair Bruce, who took part in the State Opening of Parliament, said the youngster "just went straight down" but was fine and was soon with his parents.

He said it was difficult for the four page boys because they had come straight from school and had to stand for a long period of time in clothes they were not used to.

The four page boys listed in the programme were Hugo Bertie, Viscount Aithrie, Charles Armstrong-Jones and Arthur Chatto.

A spokesman for the House of Lords refused to reveal which of the boys had fainted but said: "We can confirm one of the page boys did faint slightly but he is now fine.

"He is with his family and there is no problem."

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Anti-Terror Police Arrest Two Men At Dover

Two men have been arrested at Dover on suspicion of being involved in a terrorism plot, police have revealed.

The pair, aged 44 and 26, were seized by officers from SO15 Counter Terrorism Command at around 11pm on Tuesday night.

They are being held in custody in south London and are due to be questioned in connection with "the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism".

Scotland Yard said officers have been searching two addresses in West London and an address in Hertfordshire as part of their investigation.

The men are understood to have travelled on a ferry from Calais to the Kent port when they were arrested.

More follows...

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