The Metropolitan Police has confirmed its investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance remains active, dismissing social media claims suggesting otherwise.
A police spokesman stated the force continues to receive Home Office funding for the operation.
The clarification comes after a video circulated online in early June falsely claiming the Met had ceased investigating the case 18 years after the three-year-old British girl vanished during a family holiday in Portugal in 2007.
The video incorrectly suggested the force had received £100,000 without conducting any investigation.
The Met Police has issued an update on the case
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A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed it has secured Home Office funding for Operation Grange for the 2025/2026 financial year, maintaining its commitment to the high-profile case.
The Home Office allocated up to £192,000 for Operation Grange in the 2024/25 financial year, according to Lord Hanson of Flint, minister of state at the Home Office. He told Parliament in February that funding is reviewed annually.
The department maintains regular contact with the Operation Grange investigation team to monitor progress and expenditure. Since the operation began in 2011, total costs have reached £13.2million through the 2023/24 financial year.
Lord Hanson noted that "in-year costs will not be available until after the conclusion of the current financial year." The Home Office declined to provide additional comment on the funding arrangements.
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Madeleine vanished during a family holiday in the resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve in Portugal on May 3, 2007, when she was just three years oldPADetective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, who oversees the British investigation, emphasised the operation's longstanding commitment to the case. "The Met's investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been active since 2011," he said.
He confirmed that "a dedicated team has always been assigned to the case, to try to understand what happened on the night of Thursday, May 3, 2007."
The date marks when Madeleine vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz.
Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner pictured in a court in GermanyREUTERS
Portuguese and German authorities conducted searches in the Algarve region between June 3 and 5 this year, seeking new evidence in the case.
The Met Police was not present during these latest searches but stated it would support international colleagues where necessary.
German authorities identified Christian Brueckner as a suspect in 2020, though he has denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
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