Madeleine photo sighting 'is not her'
Sightings of Madeleine have been reported in Morocco (Reuters/Cadena COPE)
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Wednesday, 26, Sep 2007 08:02
A picture of a blonde girl in Morocco resembling Madeleine McCann is not the missing four-year-old, it has emerged.
Journalists from Britain and Spain claim to have tracked down the girl in the holiday snap of a Spanish tourist in the village of Zinat.
According to media reports the little girl in the picture taken by Clara Torres on August 31st is five-year-old Bushra Binhisa, the daughter of an olive farmer with Berber roots.
"She has got a resemblance to Madeleine but when you see her properly, it is obvious it isn't her," said Evening Standard journalist Rashid Razaq, who flew to Morocco from London after details of the reported sighting emerged.
Clarence Mitchell, the official spokesman for Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate McCann, said that the revelation, if true, was "disappointing news".
"This is why Gerry and Kate refuse to comment on individual sightings and why I was advising caution overnight," he said.
"Clearly, the search for Madeleine will continue and I would appeal for everyone to refocus their efforts to achieve her safe return."
Although there have been numerous reports from people claiming to have seen the girl who has been missing since May 3rd, today's picture was the first to be published.
Ms Torres, who took the picture while on holiday a few weeks ago, told a Spanish radio station: "As soon as I took the photo we were struck by the little girl, who was very blonde. Then yesterday we heard on the news that there were various people who said they had seen Madeleine in Morocco.
"I ran to the computer, downloaded the photos and started to amplify the photo, and when we saw it we realised yes, it could be her. It sent shivers down my spine."
Mr and Mrs McCann have been declared suspects in the case and police are investigating a theory that they may have accidentally killed their daughter and used a hire car to transport the body.
They strongly deny any involvement and have launched an international campaign to locate their daughter ever since she disappeared from the Algarve resort while on a family holiday.