Traces of blood 'not Madeleine's'

A newspaper report says forensic results show the blood came from a man.

The results, printed in The Times, come at the end of a fortnight in which speculation has been rife that the little girl was murdered in the Praia da Luz apartment.

There have been numerous reports in the Portuguese media quoting anonymous police sources as saying detectives believe Madeleine died in the apartment the night she went missing.

The technical analysis of the tiny spots of blood found smeared on the bedroom wall show it probably comes from the "northeast European sub group", the British newspaper said.

The news does not come as a shock given that police suspected the blood came from a male guest who hurt himself while staying at the flat after Madeleine disappeared.

It gives fresh hope to the McCanns, who still believe their daughter is alive 105 days after she vanished while they ate dinner at a nearby restaurant.

If the blood belonged to the male guest, it explains why the traces were not initially found by Portuguese officers who scoured the flat after Madeleine's disappearance.

Detectives may soon name new official suspects in the case, it has been reported.

Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa is said to have not ruled out the possibility that friends of the family, from Rothley, Leicestershire, could be connected to Madeleine's disappearance.