Madeleine McCann
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Madeleine McCann investigators reportedly quiz British expat with links to German man

She vanished in 2007

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Investigators looking into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have reportedly quizzed a British barmaid about her German ex-boyfriend.

Madeleine vanished in 2007, aged three, while on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, and police are reported to have spoken with ex-pat Carol Hickman about 51-year-old Michael Jehle, who used to live in the same town.

(Credit: Crimewatch BBC)
Madeleine vanished in 2007  (Credit: Netflix)

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The Sunday Mirror reports that Carol – who works at Kelly’s bar, just 450 metres away from where Madeleine disappeared – was visited by plain-clothes Scotland Yard officers asking about Michael.

“They came into the bar and said, ‘You can thank Her Majesty for this visit’,” she told the newspaper.

“That’s when I knew they were from Scotland Yard. They asked if I could remember May 3, 2007.

“Of course I remember. I was in the bar and we had a call from friends saying a little girl had vanished. We went out on the search and we were out all night.”

Carol went on to say that the officers were interested in her German ex-boyfriend – they had been together in an 18-month relationship, but hadn’t been together for years.

She also told the newspaper that the officers had visited her two weeks ago and interviewed her both at the bar and at home.

The Disappearance Of Madeleine McCann Netflix
A Netflix documentary brought the case back to public attention last year (Credit: Netflix)

Carol said that she was amazed that the police were asking about him because he was just a “friendly hippy”.

The Mirror reported that another of his exes has been quizzed and that her freezer had been checked.

I don’t know about Maddie.

When asked about it by the newspaper, Michael himself said that, “I don’t know about Maddie” and added that police know where he lives.

Michael said that he now lives 20 miles away, but has been in Portugal since 1995.

There is no suggestion he is a suspect in the case or has done anything wrong.

Madeleine was just three when she vanished (Credit: Netflix)

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It has been revealed that Scotland Yard detectives have visited Portugal five times in 2019.

This is the second time Kelly’s Bar has been mentioned in the investigation.

On the night Madeleine vanished, Martin Smith, from Co Louth, Ireland – who was in the bar with his family – said he had seen a small blonde girl being carried by a man.

Late last year, Madeleine’s parents thanked the public after being granted £300,000 to continue their worldwide search. Taking to Facebook, Kate and Gerry McCann wrote: “Thank you for being by our side as we continue to search for Madeleine.”

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor