Kate and Gerry McCann will not face further police interviews unless detectives can produce stronger evidence against them, the public prosecutor in Portugal said yesterday.
Jose Magalhaes e Meneses refused to sanction further moves against them without better evidence to back up claims they were involved in Madeleine's disappearance days before her fourth birthday.
Privately, detectives admitted that it would take "a miracle" for them to build a stronger case against the couple.
The McCann's spokesman Clarence Mitchell welcomed the admission.
He demanded that police lift Mr and Mrs McCann's status as official suspects, or aguidos, in the investigation."This would indicate the police absolutely, and quite rightly, have no case against Kate and Gerry. In these circumstances there is nothing for them to do but to clear Kate and Gerry and release their arguido status immediately." (Daily Mail)