Portuguese police have demanded to see Kate McCann's diary sparking fears they are on the brink of charging her and husband Gerry.

Detectives believe the ringbound black book holds vital clues that could prove the couple accidentally killed daughter Madeleine and disposed of her body.

Officers also want to seize the four-year-old's cuddle cat toy that Kate has carried with her ever since the youngster vanished from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz last May.

They claim sniffer dogs picked up the smell of death on it and want to use it as court evidence.

Police handed their demands to a Portimao judge yesterday. They want officers in Leicestershire to seize the items.

A family source said last night: "The McCanns fear Portuguese police want to show the judge they are in a position to move the case forward." Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell added: "They are innocent."

Detectives also want to re-interview some of the Tapas Seven - friends who were with the McCanns the night Madeleine vanished. The news is a further blow to the couple, both 39, who were told on Thursday that police have asked to extend their arguido status beyond its eight-month limit.

Kate's diary, which police have already photocopied, is known to contain details of the hours before Madeleine's disappearance. Detectives believe it shows her state of mind at the time.

It will form part of a dossier of evidence officers want to use to push for charges against the pair. Other items they are after include private letters, phone records and a laptop from their home in Rothley, Leics.