Madeleine 'grave' Report Angers Mccanns

The parents of missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann went through yet another anguish-laden wait yesterday as Portuguese police investigated a tip-off about an unmarked grave but held off from carrying out searches on the ground.

As friends spoke of the "roller-coaster" of emotions the McCann family is put through every time there is a public report of a fresh sighting or a supposed grave site, Madeleine's father complained that irresponsible journalism was harming them and hampering police.

Gerry McCann targeted the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf for printing details of a letter sent anonymously which claimed Madeleine was buried in scrubland nine miles from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz where she disappeared.

"Although all information will be taken seriously, we were very upset that the credibility of this letter had not been examined and, more importantly, was published before the Portuguese police had an opportunity to investigate the claim and search the area without massive media attention," he wrote.

"We feel strongly that this was an irresponsible piece of journalism and, even if it were true, is insensitive and cruel. One can imagine how upsetting it is for Kate and I to hear of such claims through the media."

His complaints came after De Telegraaf sent its journalists to search the site. Dutch police had previously described the letter as "credible".

Portuguese police, who had been expected to search the site yesterday, did not appear. Instead, the village of Odiaxere was invaded by reporters from half a dozen countries as satellite trucks were set up and some journalists reportedly went out with dogs.

Portuguese police yesterday played down the letter, which contained two maps downloaded from the internet with scribblings on them. Although there was reported to be at least one cross on the map, the area indicated around the village of Arao, near Odiaxere, was vast. Scrub, rocks, undergrowth and yesterday, rain would make any search a tough task.

A small team of police officers was seen in the area on Wednesday night and yesterday a police spokesman said they still had not ruled out returning with dogs. Some of their most recent searches in and around the resort where Madeleine vanished on May 3 have been carried out after dark to avoid the media. Reported sightings have have sometimes followed trips abroad by the McCanns in which they have appealed for information.