This year marks the fifth anniversary of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance

KATE and Gerry McCann were given fresh hope last night as Portuguese police said they were reviewing clues about missing daughter Madeleine. 

Almost four years after the investigation was “archived”, a team has been drafted in from the northern city of Porto to go over exhibits and thousands of pages of case papers.

They are working in tandem with Scotland Yard, which launched its own review last May after the intervention of Prime Minister David Cameron.

Pedro do Carmo, deputy national director of Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria (PJ), said: “British authorities have set up a team to review the investigation. They have been to Portugal and agreed to collaborate with the PJ.”

The fresh impetus comes as the McCanns prepare for the fifth anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance from their Algarve holiday apartment, on May 3, 2007.

Mr do Carmo said the archiving “does not mean we have less interest in establishing what happened”.

But he stressed that the case has not been formally reopened.

A spokeswoman added: “In Portugal only the attorney general’s office can order the reopening of a case and it would only do that if there was strong new evidence.

“At the moment, that has not happened.”

The McCann’s Portuguese lawyer Rogerio Alves described the review as a “very positive sign”.

He said: “More than anything Kate and Gerry want to discover what happened to their daughter, whilst of course harbouring the hope of finding her alive.

“For that to happen, the police need to carry on looking for her and carrying on following leads at their disposal.”

He told Portuguese TV: “I can’t go into any sort of detail, but there is something that aroused enough interest from the Portuguese and British police to warrant this review in search for new clues.”

He said it could be a first step to eventually reopening the case.

Madeleine was days short of her fourth birthday when she went missing during a family holiday in Praia da Luz in southern Portugal. She disappeared from a rented holiday apartment while her parents dined with friends a few yards away.

In December last year, up to eight “very important” leads in the hunt had been handed to Scotland Yard’s McCann squad – Operation Grange – by the Barcelona-based private investigators Metodo 3.

The four-strong British police team had detailed discussions with the private detectives and later took possession of 30 boxes of documents about Madeleine.

Francisco Marco, Metodo 3’s director, said at the time he believed it was “very possible” the little girl was taken to North Africa.

The McCanns, both doctors, who live in Rothley, Leicestershire, with Madeleine’s younger twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, have declined to comment. But in the past they said they were pleased British police appeared to be making progress.

On their website, set up to keep the hunt for Madeleine alive, the McCanns insist there is no evidence she has been harmed. A message on the site reads: “Madeleine is still missing and someone needs to be looking for her.

“We love her dearly and miss her beyond words.”