Madeleine McCann: German investigation could last until next year

Portuguese police tell Christian Bruckner, in prison for rape in Germany, he is formal suspect'

A German investigation into the 2007 disappearance of the British toddler Madeleine McCann could continue until next year, according to the state prosecutor in the city of Braunschweig.

Officials in Faro, Portugal, said on Thursday that the convicted rapist Christian Bruckner, 44, is an arguido, or formal suspect" - the first time Portuguese authorities have officially identified a suspect in the case since Kate and Gerry McCann, the toddler's parents, were declared such in 2007. They were formally cleared of suspicion in 2008.