Maddie 'died in holiday flat'

MADELEINE McCann died in her family’s holiday flat, the officer who led the case into her disappearance claimed yesterday.

But ex-Chief Inspector Goncalo Amaral said Maddie was not killed in the apartment.

He said he was convinced that Maddie — who vanished from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday — will never be found alive. Amaral was kicked off the case after five months for publicly criticising British police.

He stopped just short of accusing Maddie’s parents Kate and Gerry of killing her, telling Portuguese TV: “It’s not that she was killed in the apartment, but she died there.

"The parents were suspects and there were indications which made them suspects.”

In a separate interview, he accused British and Portuguese cops of being influenced by a “campaign” by Kate and Gerry, of Rothley, Leics.

Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: “Mr Amaral has consistently made these allegations. Kate and Gerry and their friends have nothing to do with Madeleine’s disappearance.”

Portuguese authorities are due to review the completed case file to decide if further action is required. That could let now-retired Amaral publish a book about the case.