Madeleine McCann Suspect's E-Fit Released

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal are asking for the public's help to identify a man who is of "vital importance".

Two separate witnesses in the Praia da Luz area have described seeing him on the evening of Thursday, May 3, 2007 - the night Madeleine went missing.

Their statements have been used to compose two e-fit images that will feature in a BBC Crimewatch appeal tonight.

Scotland Yard detectives' recent investigations have given them a far greater understanding of the times when the abduction could have taken place and this has made the statements from the witnesses far more significant.

The man they want to contact is described as white, aged between 20 and 40 years old, with short brown hair, of medium build, medium height and clean shaven.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, the senior investigating officer, said: "Whilst this man may or may not be the key to unlocking this investigation, tracing and speaking to him is of vital importance to us.

"We have witnesses placing him in the resort area around the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

"This is far from our only line of enquiry, and there will be e-fits released of other sightings as well, who we are equally keen to trace. These people were seen on the day of Madeleine's disappearance and the days leading up to it."

He added that detectives have been able to "make massive steps forward" by drawing together all the material gathered to date and reviewing it as a whole.

"We continue to put Madeleine at the heart of our investigation and I would urge people to watch Crimewatch tonight and if you can help identify this man or have any information about our new appeal points please contact us.

"Praia da Luz is a popular holiday destination for many nationalities so our requests for help need to be repeated in many different countries. I will be travelling to Holland, Germany and Ireland to seek the support of the public there.

"If you were in and around the Praia da Luz resort on Thursday, May 3, 2007, but you have not yet spoken to police, and you think you may have information, please pass it on.

"I would also like to ask for the help of the local community in Praia da Luz. Portugal is a key country for us to trace any outstanding witnesses and our appeals will be repeated there.

"We still have a lot of material to investigate and much work to do. Your information could be the vital piece we need to finally answer what happened to Madeleine."

In a clip from tonight's Crimewatch Madeleine's mother, Kate McCann says: "We're not the ones that have done something wrong here.

"It's the person who's gone into that apartment and taken a little girl away from her family."

Scotland Yard detectives, who have interviewed 442 people as part of their review-turned-investigation, hope to track down as many people as possible who were present in the Portuguese town at the time.

Since launching its own investigation, 41 people of interest have been identified, including 15 UK nationals.

Detectives have issued 31 international letters of request to mostly European countries in relation to some of these people, as well as accessing phone records.

Prime Minister David Cameron gave his support to the investigation.

He said: "I'm very pleased that Scotland Yard are doing this work. The Government has helped to fund the work that is being done.

"This was a crime that touched the heart of everyone in the country and everyone would like to see it resolved, so I hope Scotland Yard continue with their work and I wish them success."

:: Sky News will show a special investigation on Tuesday night at 8.30pm on Sky Channel 501, Virgin Media 602 and Freeview 82.