Police have been granted more money to investigate the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who vanished while in Portugal 11 years ago.
The investigation, called Operation Grange and run by the Metropolitan Police, was due to run out of funding at the end of this month, however, now the Home Office has confirmed it has allocated more money.
A spokesperson from the Home Office told MailOnline: "The Government remains committed to the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
"We have briefed the Metropolitan Police Service that its application for Special Grant funding for Operation Grange will be granted."
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Last year officers said they were investigating one 'important final line of inquiry', however, when asked by the MailOnline, detective refused to discuss it.
A spokesperson from Scotland Yard told the paper they were unable to 'give a running a commentary on the investigation while it is ongoing'.
Operation Grange has cost around £11 million ($15.6m) so far, with government funding generally being agreed every six months - a sum of £154,000 ($218,000) was given from October last year until the end of March this year.
Clarence Mitchell, who is a spokesperson for the McCanns, has said the family are 'incredibly grateful'.
He told the MailOnline: "They are very encouraged that the Met Police still believe there is work left to be done and they are incredibly grateful to the Home Office for providing an extra budget for the investigation.
"It gives them hope that one day they may finally find out what happened to their daughter."
Madeleine disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in May 2007, when she was just three. Officers working on Operation Grange, which started in May 2011, have looked through 40,000 documents from Portuguese cops and private detectives who have also been working on the case.
In total they have found around 600 'persons of interest' and have dealt with sightings of the little girl from as far away as New Zealand and Brazil.
In the past, British authorities have criticised the initial Portuguese investigation.
A Home Office spokesperson added: "The inquiry has not reached a conclusion and we're continuing with focus and determination. There are no immediate plans to reduce officer numbers further at this time."
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Source: Daily Mail; BBC
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: UK News, Home Office, Madeleine McCann