Cameron intervention in McCann case ‘is a PR exercise’

The Prime Minister has defended his decision to ask Scotland yard to review the disappearance of Madeleine McCann after an impassioned plea by Katy and Gerry McCann.

A Downing Street spokesman said that Mr Cameron and Theresa May had asked the Met to review the evidence in response to a request by the McCann family because of the “exceptional” nature of the case.

But some MPs said it could take years and cost millions of pounds to complete, although the money will be taken from the Home Office budget and not Scotland yard’s.

Lord Bradshaw told Channel 4 News: “I am mightily worried about the politicisation of the police force. What appears on the face of it to be fairly innocuous orders, it’s a fairly short step from there to telling the police they have got to investigate this rather than that.”

He added: “This did take place in Portugal where the Met’s writ doesn’t run. I doubt if they have got many Portuguese speaking officers. I don’t believe that our police can investigate the Portuguese police force.”

As a result, he said: “It becomes a PR exercise.”

He said Chief Constables were “desperately worried that their operational independence will be compromised.”

The controversy comes just days after Lib Dem peers, including Lord Bradshaw, helped inflict a Lords defeat on the government’s plans for directly elected police commissioners.

It raises very big questions about political direction of the police. Lord Harris

Lord Bradshaw’s concerns were echoed by the Labour peer Lord Harris of Haringey, who is a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority. He said he had worries about the way Cameron and the Home Office had behaved.

“It raises very big questions about political direction of the police,” said Harris. “Of course it goes without saying that this is a very heart-breaking case, but what we are looking at is a case where the Met has no direct responsibility.

“There is clearly an issue about the resources being used and are they in effect saying that the Met is the default investigator for every case in the world involving a British citizen?

“It’s not just a question of direct costs, it’s a question of opportunity costs too. Our detective capacity is limited as it is.”

Downing Street and Scotland Yard have both denied the government had ordered the force to investigate.

Scotland Yard said Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson had “received a request, which he considered, and took the decision that on balance it was the right thing to do”.

The McCanns said in a statement: “The expertise of the Metropolitan Police is renowned and we are reassured by our government’s commitment to the search for Madeleine.”

Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell added: “This is exactly what Kate and Gerry have been asking for. They wanted an independent force to examine everything, basically.”

The official Portuguese inquiry into Madeleine’s disappearance ended in July 2008 although private detectives hired by the McCanns have continued the search