Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says that British detectives working on the Madeleine McCann case are still pursuing “critical” leads.
Ten years on from her disappearance Madeline McCann's childhood bedroom remains filled with unopened birthday presents as her parents are "bracing themselves" for the devastating anniversary.
Kate and Gerry McCann will take part in a BBC Panorama documentary to air on May 3, a decade on from her disappearance inwhich investigative reporter Richard Bilton will return to the Praia de Luz apartment where police believe she was "abducted" in 2007.
The couple have revealed they will attend a local memorial in their home of Rothley, Leicestershire and said the looming date is a "horrible marker of stolen time".
"I remember when Madeleine first disappeared I couldn't even begin to consider anything in terms of years," the McCanns said.
"We are bracing ourselves for the next couple of weeks. It's likely to be stressful and painful and more so given the rehashing of old 'stories', misinformation, half-truths and downright lies which will be doing the rounds in the newspapers, social media and 'special edition' TV programmes.
"We consider ourselves immensely fortunate to have received the love, solidarity and support from so many kind and decent people over the last decade.
"There have been many challenges and low points along the way but the warmth, encouragement and positivity we have experienced from the 'quiet majority' has undoubtedly sustained us and maintained our faith in human goodness. And while that is there, there will always be hope."
UK's Metropolitan Police said parents Kate and Gerry have not been interviewed by them as suspects. Photo / Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
It's unclear whether friends of the couple staying with them at the time of the abduction will join them. The close-knit group of medical professionals dubbed the "tapas seven" have not spoken extensively to media about the night Madeline disappeared.
None have been considered suspects in the case and a libel payment they won from a UK newspaper group was donated to the Find Madeline fund.
The group includes Dr David Payne and his wife Dr Fiona Payne, along with her mother Dianne Webster, who joined the friends on holiday. It also includes Dr Russell O'Brien, now a consultant at Royal Devon and Exeter hospital along with his wife Jane Tanner, who works in marketing.
Another friend, Dr Matthew Oldfield, now a diabetes and endocrinology specialist and his wife Rachael, a recruitment consultant, were also dining with the McCann's when the girl is believed to have disappeared.
At the time, their first-hand accounts became crucial to the investigation, particularly that of Jane Tanner who told police she had seen a man walking away from the room carrying a young girl in pink pyjamas.
A police photo showing what Madeline might look like as she grew older. Photo / Supplied
Police have previously discounted the four main suspects they had in the case and despite constant theories circulated by investigators and journalists, the "critical" lead still under investigation remains a mystery.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said in a rare interview to mark the ten years police were still pursuing a "critical piece of work" that could be "significant" for the investigation.
He said they've whittled down more than 40,000 documents and 600 persons of interest and are now working with Portuguese authorities and a "much smaller" team to solve the case which they consider an abduction.
He said Kate and Gerry McCann have never been interviewed by Scotland Yard police as suspects but would not be drawn on what the final lines of inquiry were.
"Ourselves and the Portuguese are doing a critical piece of work and we don't want to spoil it by putting tidbits out on it publicly," he said.
