Madeleine: Parents' friend denies 'hurtful and untrue' slurs

A doctor friend of Madeleine McCann's parents has hit out at "hurtful and untrue" suggestions that he was involved in her disappearance.

Russell O'Brien, 36, who was among the McCanns' holiday group, denied reports that claim he is about to be arrested as a suspect.

In recent days, a whispering campaign in Portuguese newspapers has alleged that Dr O'Brien went missing for an hour and a half at the time that four-year-old Madeleine vanished.

Although it did not name the doctor, one paper included enough details to identify him clearly and said police in Britain were poised to take him into custody.

Last night Dr O'Brien and his wife Jane Tanner, who live in Exeter, issued a statement saying: "These reports in the Portuguese press are completely untrue and extremely hurtful.

"We have spoken to the police today, and have been assured that our status as witnesses has not changed.

"We would like to request that the privacy of our family and our police testimony are respected by the media.

"We just hope that the police's considerable efforts to find Madeleine are successful."

Portuguese police chief inspector Olegario Sousa backed Dr O'Brien's denials, saying: "Do you think that if we had the name of the person who committed this crime, we would be waiting to arrest them?

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"We would love to have the name of the culprit, arrest them, find the girl safe, and close the case."

The Portuguese press has made much of supposed differences in timings given by the group on the night Madeleine disappeared, but Chief Inspector Sousa said that any inconsistencies in witness statements given by the McCanns and their friends did not mean any were guilty of taking the little girl.

"Nobody ever sees the same thing," he said. "If 15 people witness a bank robbery, you get 15 different versions of what happened."

British police sources have also dismissed the claims, saying they know of no plans to arrest anyone.

It is understood that Dr O'Brien, who moved to Exeter from Leicester shortly before the holiday in Praia da Luz, left the dinner table on the night Madeleine disappeared to look after his young daughter who was ill and vomiting.

Another member of the McCanns' holiday group, Rachael Oldfield, said Dr O'Brien had only been away from the table for "minutes at a time" checking on his children.

She said: "It is just ludicrous. He is a lovely bloke. It is a total smear."

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Kate and Gerry McCann also defended Dr O'Brien. Asked during an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo if they had any suspicions about their friends, Mrs McCann said firmly: "No."

Her consultant cardiologist husband added: "We trust our friends."

The McCanns, both 39, have themselves suffered a hurtful whispering campaign in Portugal, in which they were effectively accused of being suspects in the case.

Police now believe the chances of Madeleine being found alive are slim.

Chief Inspector Sousa said it was four weeks ago that his detectives decided Madeleine was probably dead, before British sniffer dogs were sent to help the probe.

He conceded that the trail was going cold, and vital evidence could be lost.

"Time is our biggest enemy," he said, describing the 111-day investigation as "a complex, difficult case, with little hard evidence to work on, where we have to try and reconstruct what happened largely on the basis of witness statements".

He added: "We're still a bit far from resolving this, but there are good chances of getting closure."

The McCanns have said they were beginning to think about returning home to Rothley, Leicestershire, but police have advised them that it is not the right time to leave Praia da Luz.

A senior officer has told them they are free to leave but that there could be developments in the case.

While not necessarily expecting to find Madeleine, it is understood police believe they are closer to being able to explain what happened to her.