Parents of Madeleine offered fresh hope

THE PARENTS of missing Madeleine McCann, inset, have been offered fresh hope after police asked for more funds to keep the investigation alive.

More than £11m has been spent on the probe to find the missing girl, who vanished from the family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in May 2007 aged three.

With funding for the investigation, known as Operation Grange, in place until the end of September, the Metropolitan Police have requested more money from the Government.

The Home Office confirmed the application will be considered. A spokesman said: “The Home Office has provided funding to the Metropolitan Police for Operation Grange and the resources required are reviewed regularly with careful consideration given before any new funding is allocated.” Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, have vowed to never give up hope of finding their daughter. The family spokesman said: “Naturally, Kate and Gerry hope the Met request is granted. They are encouraged that there remains work to be done that requires extra funding and they remain very grateful to all Operation Grange officers who are continuing to look for their daughter.” Since 2011, the Met Police have been assisting with the search for clues about what happened to Madeleine, with officers visiting the holiday resort in 2014. GRAYDON CARTER is stepping down as editor of after 25 years at the helm.

The journalist, who began his tenure at the US magazine in July 1992, will depart at the end of the year.

He said in a statement: “I’ve loved every moment of my time here and I’ve pretty much accomplished everything I’ve ever wanted to do.

“I’m now eager to try out this ‘third act’ thing that my contemporaries have been telling me about, and I figure I’d better get a jump on it.”

Carter will stay on long enough to oversee the planning of the 2018 edition of Hollywood Issue, the magazine’s annual triple-gatefold cover that he established in 1995.

The issue is followed by the magazine’s Oscar party. He added: “I’ve had the most extraordinarily talented staff.”