Madeleine suspect appeals to police

The British expat who lives with his mother Jenny Murat less than 100m from where the four-year-old went missing in the Portuguese village of Praia da Luz, has been under police restrictions for five months including a ban on giving interviews. But the property consultant spoke on camera to BBC News, with family members by his side, in a direct plea to the Portuguese Police to finally clear him of suspicion.

Mr Murat is shown speaking only briefly but it is the first time he has done so since being declared an "arguido" - or official suspect - and could theoretically lead to action from the police.

He said: "It's five months, my savings have gone, Mum is doing what she can, it is just very, very difficult."

Mr Murat's mother ran a stall in the centre of the village appealing for information about Madeleine in the wake of her disappearance. His cousin Sally Eveleigh, who runs a local guesthouse, also spoke to the BBC urging police to finally remove his formal status.

"Five months down the line, he hasn't heard from the police for three months, and there's no evidence against him," she said. "He hasn't seen his daughter for over five months.

"He has no finances now, all his savings are gone and he needs to rebuild his life, I mean, his life is on hold."

Mr Murat, whose father was Portuguese, was taken in for questioning by police 11 days after the four-year-old disappeared on May 3. Police searched the family home Casa Liliana and its garden using specialist sniffer dogs after suspicions were aroused over his interest in the case.

Mr Murat, 33, had earlier offered his services as a translator to police working on the case and became a familiar sight around the crime scene in the days after Madeleine's disappearance.

After his first night of questioning at the local headquarters of the Policia Judiciaria (PJ) in the town of Portimao he was declared an arguido. Although he was taken in for further questioning later and new searches were carried out over the summer, he has never been formally arrested or charged. He denies any involvement.