German police looking for Madeleine McCann are planning to begin a major search of a remote reservoir in the Algarve.
The Barragem do Arade reservoir is believed to be a spot suspect Christian Brueckner used to visit.
Portuguese police are expected to start closing off roads leading to the man-made dam, located near the town of Silves soon, ahead of the official search state date tomorrow (Tuesday 23 May).
The search is set to last for at least two days, although may continue longer if anything of any importance is discovered.
Advert
Scotland Yard detectives are said to have travelled to the area, but only with a 'watching brief'.
The reservoir was searched twice in February and March 2008 by divers hired by Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia.
Correia organised the privately-funded operation after claiming he received reports McCann's body had been thrown into the reservoir within 48 hours of her disappearance.
However, her parents Kate and Gerry McCann had previously dismissed the lawyer's claims, saying there was no evidence to suggest any link between their daughter and the reservoir.
Advert
This time round, expert divers will explore the reservoir while digs also take place in the woodland next to the water.
The new search will mark the first major operation of its kind since June 2014, when British police were given permission to do digs involving sniffer dogs trained in detecting bodies and ground-penetrating radar in Praia da Luz.
Madeleine vanished from an apartment in the Algarve while on holiday with her family in 2007.
At the time, she was just three years old.
Despite years passing since her disappearance, her parents have never stopped hoping for an answer.
Topics: Madeleine McCann, World News
Jess Hardiman