Friend 'may have seen abduction'

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A "witness" reported seeing a man carrying "an object that could have been a child" in the Algarve village of Praia Da Luz at 9.30pm on May 3 - while Madeleine's parents were finishing dinner nearby.

A source indicated on Friday night that the sighting - the most striking so far in the case - was by one of the couple's party who has not been named.

On Friday night Policia Judiciaria finally released a description of the man seen that night in the face of possible legal action by Madeleine's parents.

The information, likely to have been released early on as a matter of course in other countries, had to be sanctioned by the public prosecutor.

It followed an "amicable" meeting with senior Portuguese police and the McCanns which is believed to have taken place on Thursday.

It is thought the PJ have known about the sighting for three weeks but have not released it for that reason.

The description - which tallies closely to details being circulated at the time but never publicised - is of a white man, approximately 35 to 40 years old, of medium build and 5ft 10ins tall. He was described as wearing a dark jacket, light beige trousers and dark shoes.

On Friday the McCanns gave their first interviews and spoke of their feelings of "guilt" at not being there when their daughter was taken.

But they defended themselves against accusations that they were irresponsible, outlining how they had an arrangement with other parents in their group to continually check on the children throughout the evening.