PORTUGUESE police have refused to reopen the inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
The decision came after Scotland Yard urged authorities to resume their investigation and released a new "age-progressed" image showing what she might look like as a nine-year-old.
While British detectives believe Madeleine could still be alive, officers in Portugal insist there is no evidence to warrant relaunching the search.
Despite the Metropolitan Police's announcement that detectives have identified 195 potential leads, Portuguese police sources said the status of their investigation had not changed.
Next week will mark five years since Madeleine went missing from her family's Algarve holiday flat as her parents, Kate and Glasgow-born Gerry McCann, dined nearby.
There have been hundreds of possible sightings of her since she vanished, aged three, but each one has come to nothing.
The Portuguese refusal to re-examine her disappearance came shortly after family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the McCanns were "hugely encouraged" by the recent momentum in the case.
Mrs McCann was said to be "particularly pleased" with the new image of Madeleine, believing it had a strong family resemblance.
Referring to the 195 potential new leads, Mr Mitchell told BBC Breakfast: "Kate and Gerry welcome this and they are hugely encouraged by what the police have been doing all of this last year since the launch of the investigative review. They [Scotland Yard] believe it is quite possible Madeleine could still be alive and that is what Kate and Gerry have said throughout the five years and they are hugely encouraged by all of this momentum in the case."
He said that, like the British police, Mr and Mrs McCann want the case to be reopened. However, he added such a move was "up to the Portuguese authorities".
Mr Mitchell said: "They are very pleased the new age-progressed image of Madeleine aged nine was put out yesterday, which is getting wide publicity today. Of course, that is the girl that people should still be looking for."
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