Madeleine McCann: MPS seeks to extend investigation into missing girl

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has asked for more money for its investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. In April the force said it was investigating “significant” leads that Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley described as “very worthwhile”. Now it is seeking more funds to pursue one final line of enquiry in the £11 million Operation Grange. The application for an undisclosed fee from the Home Office is expected to be approved. Three-year-old Madeleine vanished from the family`s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal on May 3, 2007. A Home Office spokesperson confirmed to Police Professional that the MPS had made a further application for funding, which will be considered. “The Home Office has provided funding to the Metropolitan Police for Operation Grange and the resources required are reviewed regularly with careful consideration given before any new funding is allocated,” the spokesperson added. Madeleine`s disappearance sparked one of the most high-profile, and costly, police investigations of recent times. The MPS investigation has been active since 2011, but the number of detectives working on the case was cut from 29 to four in 2015. A MPS spokesperson said: “Funding is in place until the end of September. Any details about future funding will be released when appropriate.”