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Original Source:
MAIL: 07 JUNE 2007 |
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Last
updated at 14:42pm on 7th June 2007 |
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A mystery phone call from a man claiming to know the
whereabouts of missing Madeleine McCann could provide a new lead in the case,
it emerged today.
The caller provided such detail that Kate and Gerry McCann put their European
search for their daughter on hold in case they needed to act.
The couple were informed of the potential development while in Germany, where
they were appealing for information about their four-year-old child.
It is 35 days since Madeleine was abducted from her bed in the Algarve resort
of Praia da Luz.
The "credible" call was taken from a man who wanted to speak directly
to the McCanns, according to a Spanish police source.
It was traced to an unregistered pay-as-you-go phone from an unidentified
country but not thought to be Morocco,
where a previous possible sighting of Madeleine was reported.
The caller did not reveal his identity or nationality, but the information was
considered important enough to alert Mr and Mrs McCann, the source said.
At around 3pm yesterday, the couple - who were about to go to Tempelhof airport in Berlin
to fly on to the Netherlands
- were advised that the caller might try to contact them, so they stayed on at
the British embassy.
At 6pm, journalists travelling in the eight-seater
private jet with the McCanns were told by the flight crew that there might be a
change in destination.
They revealed they had been asked to draw up a new flight plan involving a
possible change from Amsterdam to East Midlands
Airport.
It was thought the McCanns might need to go back to the UK to talk to
advisers about the call. But all efforts to re-establish contact with the man
failed and the couple decided to go on to Amsterdam.
They left Berlin at 7.30pm, three hours later
than planned, for the hour-long flight to Schiphol Airport
in Amsterdam to
continue their search.
Mr and Mrs McCann are thought to be on standby, ready to return to the UK if
necessary.
A Spanish police source said: "A man called saying he knew where Madeleine
was and wanted to speak to the McCanns.
"This did not appear to be a crank call and the information was felt
credible enough to warrant the couple being informed immediately.
"They were in Berlin preparing to fly to Amsterdam but were advised
to delay take-off.
"The situation was so critical that it was felt they could not afford to
be out of touch on the plane, even for an hour during the short flight."
Kate and Gerry McCann looked utterly exhausted as they prepared for their trip
to Amsterdam.
The trip, part of the the battle to find their
missing daughter, has a personal note - they lived there when Madeleine was a
baby.
The couple spent all of 2004 in the Dutch city and have not returned since.
They said they never dreamed they would be back today without Madeleine.
It is 35 days since the four-year-old was abducted from the Algarve resort
of Praia da Luz. Her parents have flown across Europe
from Portugal to Italy, Spain,
Germany and now the Netherlands to
raise awareness about her disappearance.
Today's visit and appeal for information marks the end of the European aspect
of their campaign to find Madeleine.
A further trip to Morocco
and northern Africa is planned for the
weekend.
Mr and Mrs McCann flew from Berlin to Amsterdam by private Hawker jet last night and spent a quiet but
emotional evening with friends.
Mr McCann, a cardiologist, worked in Amsterdam
three years ago, focusing on MRI imaging of the heart.
Madeleine was a little more than eight months old when the couple arrived and
Mrs McCann was pregnant with twins Sean and Amelie when they left.
The couple said they expected today's visit to be a highly emotional one.
They will undertake the now familiar round of interviews and media appeals to
help track down their daughter.
Portugal
is a popular destination for Dutch tourists and the McCanns hope their public
appeal will encourage someone with information to come forward.
They are due to meet British ambassador Lyn Parker and the Consul General in
Amsterdam Bernhard Garside.
They will then discuss child welfare issues with Fronske
Eendebak Winkel, national
police co-ordinator for missing persons and representatives from the
organisation Child Focus.
Mr and Mrs McCann are keen to return to the Algarve promptly this afternoon
after two nights away from two-year-old Sean and Amelie.
They also want to get back in time to attend a jazz concert in honour of
Madeleine being held in Lagos
at 8.30pm tonight.
Yesterday, the campaign to find their daughter was briefly overshadowed when
the McCanns were forced to deny they had any involvement in her abduction.
They looked appalled when they were asked by a German journalist if they had
anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance.
Sabine Mueller from German Radio said there were people suggesting that the
couple's behaviour since her abduction was not normal.
"They seem to imply that you might have something to do with it," she
said.
Mr McCann hit back, saying: "I have never heard before that anyone
considers us suspects in this and the Portuguese police certainly don't.
"Without going into too much detail, we were with a large group of people.
There is absolutely no way Kate and I are involved in this abduction."
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