BRITISH detectives have launched their own investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance and say they have "genuinely new" lines of inquiry.
Officers say they believe there is a chance the kidnapped child is still alive.
Police from Scotland Yard have identified 38 people of interest including 12 UK nationals after a two-year review of evidence in the case. None of the 38 people identified are known to the McCanns.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who said he genuinely believes Madeleine may still be alive, said his team had carried out new witness interviews and analysed information from police in Portugal and the UK, as well as seven private detective firms.
He said: "That has given us the ability to see this case with fresh eyes, and through that bring out new, genuinely new, lines of inquiry. I'm hopeful when we pursue those lines of inquiry we will be able to bring some sort of resolution.
"Whether we will be able to solve it is a different issue, but I hope we will be able to have the ability to move the investigation on.
"I believe critically that this is an important moment for Madeleine. It is a great opportunity which we intend to exploit to the full."
Madeleine, then aged three, went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal's Algarve in May 2007 as her parents Kate and Gerry, who is from Glasgow, dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.
The Portuguese investigation is officially closed but authorities there are backing the Scotland Yard inquiry and officers from both countries will work together in pursuing new leads.
Spokesman for the McCanns, Clarence Mitchell, said: "Kate and Gerry warmly welcome this shift in the Metropolitan Police emphasis.
"They see it as a huge step forward in establishing what happened and hope it will lead to bringing to justice whoever was responsible for the abduction."
A team of 37 Met police officers and staff are working on the case, and they are sending a formal letter of request to Portuguese authorities for help.
The 12 British persons of interest were in Portugal at the time Madeleine vanished, and are thought to be in Portugal or the UK.
The others are believed to be in these countries or three other unnamed European nations.
Mr Redwood said: "It is a positive step in our hunt for Madeleine that our understanding of the evidence has enabled us to shift from review to investigation.
"Our working relationship with the Portuguese police is positive and now we have moved to investigation we are requesting further specific assistance through normal judicial routes."
So far the team has gathered 30,500 documents. They are around two-thirds of the way through their review.
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