Madeleine McCann's family have been given fresh hope thanks to a new investigation into her disappearance.
Earlier this week, police in Germany ordered the search of an area of woodland on a peninsula at the Barragem do Arade in Portugal
However it is understood that Portuguese police have been told they finish after today, which is likely to end the operation which has been ongoing since Tuesday.
The latest evidence into the death comes after police received information about prime suspect Christian Brueckner, a convicted paedophile.
In 2020, police found a collection of USB sticks linked to Brueckner, which had child pornography on them, buried next to a dead dog in a rubbish tip.
Police were searching the site of an abandoned box factory where it is understood Brueckner once lived, when the vile images were found, reports the Mirror.
Brueckner is understodd to have been living in a caravan at the site, which is around 65 miles from the German city of Hanover.
Police were searching for evidence following the disappearance of Inga Gehricke. The five-year-old has not been seen since an outing with her family in 2015.
Police said they found 8,000 pieces of evidence, including the child abuse images on USB sticks that were found under the animal bones, but no body was found.
After Brueckner was prosecuted in relation to the images, cops then launched their latest search of the reservoir. It is understood they found evidence that they hoped could solve Maddie's disappearance in May 2007.
Barragem do Arade reservoir is around 31 miles from the Praia da Luz in Portugal, where the family were on holiday when Maddie was last seen. The three-year-old would be approaching 20 now.
Bruckner, is said to have referred to the reservoir as "his little paradise". It emerged that authorities found photographs of the body of water when Brueckner was arrested in 2017
It is understood police may be looking for the Marks & Spencer pyjamas worn by Maddie on the night she went missing.
Throughout the search, a team have focused on a small peninsula, with a group of investigator walking in a line and scouring the area. A sniffer dog and trainer were part of the party.
A Portuguese source said: "The search is being taken very seriously and is being controlled totally by the Germans. They asked Portuguese officers assisting them to look for any evidence - but especially rags."
German prosecutors released a statement, confirming they are working with the Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of officers of the [German] Federal Criminal Police Office after several tip-offs.
German prosecutor Christian Wolter said: "We are investigating in Portugal on the basis of certain tips (tip-offs)."
Brueckner is currently in a German jail for a rape he committed in Portugal two years before Madeleine disappeared, and separately he is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasn't been charged.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
First pictures released of 'best friends' killed in horror crash as loved ones pay tribute
Ex-Celtic star Paddy McCourt's alleged victim 'felt someone put hand up her dress' court hears
'It's not my problem' - man refuses to swap seats on plane, so mum can sit with kid
Scots barista who went viral after wooing man with 'ur cute' coffee still loved up one year on
