The investigation into the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann back in 2007 will come to a close later this year, according to reports.
An 11-year investigation, under the name Operation Grange, was launched four years after the toddler went missing from her family’s holiday rental in Portugal.
Her disappearance sparked worldwide attention and had brought to light a number of suspects over the years as a team of investigators desperately searched for answers.
However, without sufficient evidence to charge anyone for the crime, the probe will likely no longer be funded by the British taxpayer and is set to be shut down by London’s Metropolitan Police.
The available funding was reportedly due to run out this month, but after a request for more money was approved, officers will continue working on it up to September 2022.
A source close to the investigation told the Sun: “There are currently no plans to take the inquiry further.
“The end of the road for Operation Grange is now in sight.
“The team’s work is expected to be completed by autumn.”
The decision was made due to officers being unable to find sufficient evidence to charge the current prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance - Christian Brueckner.
He is currently serving time in jail for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old woman in the same area of Portugal.
Mobile phone data suggested that Brueckner was in the area at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance, while a German television documentary, Madeleine McCann: Investigating the Prime Suspect, also revealed the 44-year-old had worked at the resort where the McCann's were staying when their she vanished.
The case is still considered a missing person case, and while German cops believe Madeleine was murdered, the Metropolitan Police maintain the idea that she could still be alive.
Brueckner was named the prime suspect in 2020 after he allegedly told a friend he was involved in the disappearance - but no charges have since been filed.
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