False leads, multiple suspects: the long search for Madeleine McCann

There have been many twists in investigation into disappearance of girl from Portuguese resort in 2007

• Portuguese authorities declare man formal suspect

Kate and Gerry McCann are likely to take limited solace from Portuguese authorities designating a convicted German sex offender a formal suspect in the disappearance of their daughter, more than 14 years after police pointed a finger of suspicion at them.

In their case, it took 11 months for the Portuguese police to lift their categorisation of the couple as arguidos - translated from Portuguese as named suspects" or formal suspects".