Madeleine: Hair in McCann Renault: 'It could be anyone's'

British forensic experts have concluded the fragments said to be Madeleine's could belong to any number of people who had come into contact with the silver Renault Scenic.

This demolishes earlier claims that the hairs would prove the McCanns had hidden Madeleine's body in the car after killing her in their holiday apartment.

The fragments found did not even allow the scientists to establish the sex or age of the individual.

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Sources have told The Mail on Sunday that the hairs discovered in the vehicle hired by Kate and Gerry McCann after she disappeared were found in only very small quantities on the seats - and not in the boot as was previously reported.

Additionally no roots were found in the samples, which meant that experts at the Forensic Science Service in Birmingham were unable to test for a DNA match to any individuals.

"They were only asked to try to determine sex and age. It was simply not possible to determine whether the hairs belonged to Madeleine," said a source.

It has also been reported that police had found 'bodily fluids' - but not blood - in the car with an 88 per cent match to Madeleine's genetic profile.

That fuelled speculation that the little girl had been killed, possibly after being given an accidental overdose of sedatives, and her body hidden before being transported in the boot of the vehicle.

The McCanns hired the Renault from Budget 24 days after Maddie vanished on May 3.

Portuguese police have become suspicious about the number of miles on the car's mileometer.

In the seven days between May 27 - when the Renault Scenic was first rented in Portimao - and June 3 when the McCanns' first contract lapsed, the car travelled 450 miles.

The couple pointed out to investigators that the car did many runs to Faro airport, 55 miles away. They emphasised that they flew to Rome to meet the Pope on May 29, returning the next day, and that they then departed for Madrid on May 31.

They also told police that friends and family had access to the car while they were away - and that it was used to ferry relatives to and from Faro.

But despite what the McCanns have presented as an innocent explanation behind the distances, Portuguese police have asked Budget to provide all details of the vehicle's mileage.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that those records show that between June 3 and July 3, the car travelled a further 1,256 miles.

Further trips to airports in Lisbon and Faro to pick up relatives and deposit the McCanns for a trip to Germany have been presented as a justification for the high mileage.

However, according to a source, the police have not been satisfied with the explanations.