Met Police hunt for Madeleine McCann 'costs £11 million'

Scotland Yard's search for missing Madeleine McCann has cost taxpayers almost £11 million, it has been claimed.

The spiralling costs have raised questions about whether or not the Metropolitan Police should continue to plough resources into the investigation, which has led to no arrests.

John O'Connor, a former Flying Squad officer, told The Sun: "If there are no firm leads, and by that I mean no substantial operational things like active surveillance on suspects, then I'd have thought they should be considering winding it down now."

Madeleine disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in the resort of Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007, prompting what would become one of the biggest missing persons investigation in living memory.

In 2011, David Cameron promised "new action" involving Scotland Yard and a task force of 37 detectives spent two years trawling through thousands of documents, witness statements and pieces of evidence as part of a Government funded review of the case.

Two years later, that review was upgraded to a full-scale investigation with those in charge claiming they had a number of fresh theories about what had happened to Madeleine and had identified new suspects.

Last year, British police went to Portugal multiple times to examine the scene and interviewed four Portuguese suspects and various witnesses.

They are said to have taken 67 return flights to Portugal at a cost of £16,000.

But despite spiralling costs, detectives appear no closer to solving the crime and Grange is projected to have cost £12.2 million by April 2016.

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The bulk of the costs is said to come from salaries, overtime and property expenses.

There are now 30 police and support staff working on the hunt for Madeleine, who would now be 12.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who had headed Operation Grange since it was set up, retired before Christmas and was replaced by Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall.

But the police investigation has been marred with blunders from the beginning.

Crucially, the apartment was not initially treated as a crime scene, meaning around 20 people went in and out before it was sealed off, contaminating potential evidence.

Roadblocks were not put in place until 10am the next day, border guards were not informed for hours and Interpol did not put out a global missing persons alert for five days.

It meant that the key time of any missing persons investigation – the first 24 hours – were largely squandered, and police have been trying to catch up ever since. Yet potentially key sightings and artists’ impressions of suspects were kept from the public for years.

Mr O'Connor added: "You can't keep chasing shadows. Chasing sightings all over the world. It depends on whether the detectives are making any real progress. For me it needs to be reviewed by a senior officer.

"The Met's rank and file would be thinking, 'Are there more recent cases that could be progressed with the right resources?' It's about priorities."

A source close to the McCanns told The Sun: "Kate and Gerry are eternally grateful to the Metropolitan Police for making Operation Grange possible.

"They are pleased so many officers are still looking for Madeleine."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The Metropolitan Police commended Operation Grange at the request of the Home Office who fully fund it. As such, it does not impact on other operations in London."

A Home Office spokesperson added: “The Home Office remains committed to supporting the search for Madeleine McCann. Over the last four years we have given the Metropolitan Police the resources they say they need to investigate her disappearance, and we continue to do so.”