Madeleine McCann: Police In High-Tech Search

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

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Europe Calls On UK Govt To Increase Taxes

The European Commission has urged the UK Government to raise taxes and rein in its Help To Buy scheme.

The European Union's executive body called on the Government to increase the amount it collects in taxes to help it cut the deficit, saying policy had so far been "heavily skewed" to spending cuts.

Setting out their 2014 economic policy recommendations for the UK, commissioners said the coalition should be "prioritising capital expenditure" to boost the "fragile" recovery.

Many of the recommendations concern the housing market, including a call for more houses to be built and for adjustments to Help To Buy, which many have warned is causing a potentially damaging housing bubble.

The "regressive" council tax system was also in the Commission's sights.

Mr Cameron has said the EU is "too bossy"

The Commission said: "At the moment, increasing property values are not translated into higher property taxes as the property value roll has not been updated since 1991 and taxes on higher value property are lower than on lower value property in relative terms due to the regressivity of the current rates and bands within the council tax system."

The Commission broadly praised action on extending childcare provision and reforming welfare, but said more must be done on apprenticeships and skills.

Recommendations on economic policy have been made for all countries. It comes after the European elections were dominated by anti-EU sentiment, with people protesting about the powers of the unelected European Commission.

Prime Minister David Cameron described the EU as "too big, too bossy, too interfering" last week, but a Treasury spokesman said the recommendations were "in line" with the Government's approach.

Mr Cameron is currently battling moves to appoint arch federalist Jean-Claude Juncker to president of the Commission, as he tries to renegotiate Britain's deal with the EU.

The Prime Minister reportedly warned at the weekend that the UK could quit the union if Mr Juncker was appointed.

The Commission's economic suggestions have provoked anger among politicians and some campaigners.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Business for Britain, said: "This is further evidence that the EU should be let nowhere near tax policy of its member states.

"Leaders in Brussels appear not have taken on board the resounding message from the recent elections that Britain wants less interference from the continent, not more."

 A Treasury spokesman said: "The Government's long-term economic plan is working, delivering economic security for hardworking people.

"The European Commission continues to support the UK Government's strategy including its commitment to deficit reduction. The Commission's recommendations are in line with the Government's approach."

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Boy Seriously Hurt After School Buses Crash

A 12-year-old boy has suffered severe facial injuries after two school buses collided in Stanley, County Durham.

The boy has been flown to hospital, an air ambulance spokesman said.

More follows...

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Church Prays To Halt HS2 Over Grave Fears

The Church of England has joined opponents of the Government's HS2 proposals, warning that the high-speed rail link will desecrate hundreds of graves.

The Archbishops' Council, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York, says changes must be made to give greater protection to remains which have to be exhumed along the proposed route.

In a "humble petition" to the House of Commons, the Council says that works authorised by the Bill to bring in the project will involve the destruction of three burial grounds.

The scheme is already highly controversial in areas impacted by the route

The petition says the Bill should not be allowed to pass unless the removal of remains are "treated in a decent and reverent manner" or are subsequently reinterred in consecrated land.

It adds there are inadequate provisions to ensure that any monuments that are removed "are disposed of in a suitable manner".

The petition says: "This is inconsistent with the approach taken in other legislation which provides for the compulsory acquisition of land and its use for statutory purposes."

It concludes: "Your petitioners therefore humbly pray your Honourable House that the Bill may not be allowed to pass into law as it now stands."

Other high-profile petitioners have also lobbied Parliament to stop the controversial scheme in its current form.

They include Earl Spencer, brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and Lord Rothschild, who both own land along the route.

Other objectors include Nicholas and Alice van Cutsem, close friends of the Duke of Cambridge, and Lord Richard Wellesley, a descendant of the Duke of Wellington.

They have complained that the rail link will cut through their estates, cause noise and damage areas of outstanding natural beauty.

In April, 33 Conservative MPs rebelled against the blueprint for the high-speed line but the Government enjoyed a comfortable victory as the bill for the £50bn scheme passed with a 411 majority.

A wrecking amendment to the legislation for the project put forward by former Cabinet minister and rebel ringleader Cheryl Gillan was defeated by 451 votes to 50, with a total of 32 Tory MPs backing the amendment.

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Missing Brit's Mum Jets To Jungle Island

The mum of a Brit missing in the Malaysian jungle is set to arrive on the island where he was last seen a week ago.

Paramilitary commandos and sniffer dogs have joined the hunt for Gareth Huntley, who is on a sabbatical from his job in the City.

The Foreign Office have confirmed five helicopters will now be deployed as the search intensifies.

The 34-year-old, who lives in Hackney, disappeared while trekking to visit a waterfall in Tioman Island, off the south eastern coast of the country's mainland.

Mum Janet Southwell will arrive in Malaysia on Monday

Mr Huntley's girlfriend, Kit Natariga, arrived on the island on Sunday and will now be joined by his mother, Janet Southwell.

"It's really tough, especially coming onto the island," Ms Natariga told Sky News.

"It's beautiful, a paradise place, and I know Gareth's out there in the jungle somewhere. Every time I look out of the window, I hope I'll see him.

"It's very difficult ... he's in danger and time is running out."

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has been assured by the Malaysians that "all available search assets" are being used to find Mr Huntley.

Gareth Huntley and his girlfriend Kit Natariga

Patrol boats are being used to help trace the accountant, and there is speculation that specialist military personnel from Britain, based in nearby Brunei, could join the search.

Mr Huntley's younger brother Mark said the family were staying positive.

"We want to personally thank David Cameron and Philip Hammond for their reassurances," he said. "It is a very big positive for us.

"We are, of course, very grateful to the Malaysian people and the authorities for their work too. Everyone has been fantastic.

"We are told that local people went out to look for Gareth as soon as he was first described as missing - so without them there would not be a search mission.

The Briton's disappearance is described as out of character

"What we need now is for that work to continue and to find my brother."

Mr Huntley, originally from West Yorkshire, set off on Tuesday telling friends at the Juara Turtle Project where he was volunteering that he would return by 2pm.

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Madeleine Cops Seal Off Praia Da Luz Scrubland

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 12:46pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

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Spammer To Pay Damages After Court Victory

John Lewis has been ordered to pay damages for sending "spam" emails in a privacy ruling that could open the floodgates for harassed consumers.

Roddy Mansfield, who is a producer for Sky News, brought the case under EU legislation that prohibits businesses from sending marketing emails without consent.

At a county-court hearing a judge ruled the company acted unlawfully as it could not prove Mr Mansfield had agreed to receive the emails or was one of their customers.

It is the third time Mr Mansfield has secured damages for receiving unsolicited emails but the first time an individual has won damages following a ruling on the legislation.

Spam is named after a Monty Python sketch where it is served with each meal

Previous spam cases won by default include Gordon Dick who secured £1,300 for a single email from Transcom Internet Services and Steve Higgins who was awarded £810 from a home-shopping firm.

Mr Mansfield began receiving the promotional emails after registering his details with John Lewis' website which opted-him-in for marketing using a pre-ticked consent box.

But an EU law drafted in 2003 makes it an offence to send unsolicited emails unless a customer is aware they have been opted-in.

Mr Mansfield issued proceedings under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations arguing it was for John Lewis to prove he consented and after a short hearing the judge ruled in his favour.

Mr Mansfield said: "John Lewis argued that because I had not opted-out of receiving their emails, I had automatically opted-in.

"But an opportunity to opt-out that is not taken is simply that. It does not convert to automatic consent under the law and companies risk enforcement action if they use pre-ticked boxes.

Almost 100 billion spam emails are sent every day

"John Lewis' lawyers then argued that because I browsed their website I had "negotiated" with them for a sale and a business relationship existed between us which would allow them to email me. The judge threw that out too."

Some 100 billion spam emails are sent to consumers every day according to Cyren's Internet Threats Trends report for 2013.

Richard Cox, who is head of anti-spam organisation Spamhaus, said: "As the Information Commissioner cannot take action on individual breaches of the law, the only way to stop this annoying type of spam is for individuals to take action themselves.

"Only the individual in each case will know whether they consented to their details being harvested for this type of activity. Hopefully it will be a warning to other UK companies not to abuse their customers' personal data."

A spokesperson for John Lewis said the case consisted of a "very specific set of circumstances" and while they disagreed with the judge's decision they would abide by the ruling.

The company said in a statement: "Mr Mansfield voluntarily gave us his email address, set up an account online and chose not to opt-out of marketing communications when that option was available to him.

"We listen carefully to what our customers tell us about how and when we communicate with them and endeavour to do so in a manner that is convenient to them.

"We're sorry Mr Mansfield was inconvenienced by our emails."

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Nurse Rui Li's Husband Charged With Murder

The husband of nurse Rui Li, who was discovered dead in a car in Bournemouth, has been charged with her murder, police say.

Pierre Legris, 60, will appear before Bournemouth Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Legris's 26-year-old son, also from Bournemouth, remains in custody after Dorset Police were given additional time to question him.

Officers discovered the body of 44-year-old Ms Li "concealed within a silver Fiat Punto", along Verwood Crescent in north Bournemouth on Friday - some four miles from her home in Burnham Drive.

Her distinctive Porsche Boxter, with the personalised number plate L1 RUI, was found outside a property in Wolverton Road.

She was last seen by her 18-year-old daughter more than a week ago and reported missing on Tuesday.

Detective Inspector Marcus Hester, of the major crime investigation team, said: "Family Liaison Officers have updated Rui's daughter with these developments - clearly, this is a very difficult time for her as she tries to come to terms with the loss of her mother."

The scene where Ms Li's body was found

He also continued to appeal for friends and family to come forward so detectives could "build a full picture" of her lifestyle.

"This latest development does not mean we do not want to hear from members of the public if they have any information that could help with the investigation into Rui Li's death," he said.

"We still very much want to hear from anyone who may have any information about what happened to Rui Li."

Formal identification has not yet taken place and the inquest will be opened in due course, police said.

Ms Li was last seen alive by her 18-year-old daughter, Lu Yao, at her home on May 23.

Miss Yao had previously made an emotional appeal for her "loving mum" to get in touch, saying: "My mum is a very conscientious and caring nurse and never lets anyone down."

Detectives said Ms Li moved to the UK from China a decade ago and had worked at Poole General Hospital since 2009.

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Scotland Rally Crashes: Three Spectators Killed

Three spectators have been killed and six others injured after two separate crashes during the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland.

Race organisers only abandoned the event following the second crash, which took place at Little Swinton, near Coldstream, raising questions over safety.

Police say one woman and two men died when a car came off the road and struck four spectators.

Emergency crews pronounced the three spectators dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred around 4pm on Saturday.

Sky sources understand two of the three people killed were from the same family, while the third was a photographer.

The sources added that the car was going over a hump at speed before it lost control.

The fourth spectator, a man, was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmity in a critical condition.

Police attend the crash scene in the Scottish Borders

Two hours earlier another rally car left the road near Crosshall Farm, striking five people.

Three men were initially taken to Borders General Hospital, however one was later transferred to an intensive care unit in Edinburgh.

The remaining two spectators were treated for minor injuries.

Police say the two drivers involved in the crashes were unhurt.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has expressed his condolences following the two accidents.

"This is desperately sad and difficult news from the Borders of the tragic circumstances that have occurred at the Jim Clark Rally," he said.

Alex Salmond: "This is desperately sad and difficult news"

"The police have confirmed three fatalities and my thoughts are with all of those involved and the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.

"The government is in contact with Police Scotland and we await the outcome of their inquiries. The Jim Clark Rally is a long-standing event of over 40 years.

"It is much loved in the Borders and by the rally driving community who I know will share in our sadness at what is a black day for the Borders and for Scotland."

Spectator Tommy Tait was watching the race close to the location of one of the crashes.

He wrote on Facebook: "We must be like cats have nine lives never have we been so close to getting wiped out by a rally car our thoughts go out to the 4 who got hit (sic)."

The Jim Clark Rally takes place over three days on closed roads in the Duns and Kelso areas.

The rally course is described on the event's website as having "a reputation for being fast with big jumps, ditches and hedges".

The event is named after Scottish Formula One driver Jim Clark, who was raised in the area. Clark died in a motor racing accident in Hockenheim, Germany, in 1968.

The organisers of the race said in a statement: "The organisers of the Jim Clark Rally would like to extend their heartfelt condolences and sympathy to all of the families and their friends who have been affected by today's (Saturday's) tragic events.

"Our thoughts are especially with those who have lost family members and to the families of the injured spectators.

"All members of the organising team are in shock and are cooperating fully with Police Scotland to establish the facts."

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Insurers Expose £1.3bn In Fraudulent Claims

A record £1.3bn worth of fraudulent insurance claims were uncovered last year as the industry continues to crack down on cheats.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said some £3.5m worth of dishonest claims are uncovered every day.

The figures show an 18% increase in the value of fraudulent claims detected in 2012.

In 2013, some 118,599 fraudulent or exaggerated claims were detected, the equivalent of more than 2,000 each week.

Motor insurance claims were the most expensive and common dishonest claims to be uncovered.

The average value of fraud detected across all kinds of insurance products was £10,813.

Aidan Kerr, the ABI's assistant director, said: "The message is clear: never has it been harder to get away with committing insurance fraud.

"Never have the penalties - ranging from a custodial sentence and a criminal record, to difficulties in obtaining financial products in the future - been so severe."

The ABI says the figures also reveal a "significant" rise in the number of people reporting suspected fraudsters.

Calls from members of the public reporting frauds to the Insurance Fraud Bureau's "cheatline" rose by one third (32%) in 2013 compared with the previous year.

Malcolm Tarling, a spokesman for the ABI, said the industry has also seen an increase in the number of "staged accidents".

This dangerous practice sees fraudsters cause deliberate accidents, often with innocent motorists, in order to cause injuries and claim insurance.

"Staged accidents, which are extremely serious, involve criminal gangs deliberately staging an accident, normally involving an innocent motorist," Mr Tarling said.

"These are increasingly becoming more commonplace and the industry is actively working very hard to crack down on them."

One insurer, AA Insurance, said it identifies more than 100 fraud attempts each week.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: "These figures are encouraging because they reflect the growing success of the insurance industry in the war against fraud, rather than more fraud taking place.

"This should send a strong signal to anyone thinking of trying it on."

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