Portugal re-opens case into disappearance of British girl Madeleine McCann The police in Portugal have re-opened their probe into the disappearance of British girl Madeleine McCann, it has emerged. The youngster disappeared in May 2007, aged three, in the resort of Praia da Luz, Portugal. Portugal's attorney general said police had asked for the investigation to be re-opened because of "reports of new elements." Portuguese police closed their case in 2008, after more than a year of investigations, including the quizzing of Madeleine's parents. UK police reviewed the case in 2011 and opened a formal investigation in July. Last week, British police received more than 2,400 calls and e-mails following the broadcast of a fresh appeal across Europe. That suggested the child was snatched in a planned abduction. Detective said they wanted to trace a number of men, including some thought to be either Scandinavian or German. London's Metropolitan Police welcomed the Portuguese decision to reopen their investigation, but Mark Rowley, assistant commissioner for Specialist Crime and Operations cautioned: "Both sides of the investigation are at relatively early stages, with much work remaining to be done." "This new momentum is encouraging, but we still have a way to go, and as with all major investigations, not all lines of enquiry that look promising will yield results," added Rowley.