Police in Portugal leading the search for missing British girl Madeleine McCann have rejected an offer from British sniffer dog teams it is reported.
British dogs, including a Spaniel associated with the National Police Improvement Agency have been trained in advanced tracking techniques which enable them to follow human scent for several miles. They are capable of discovering scents which are as old as 28 days.
Quoted in a national newspaper today, one senior UK police source said:
“It is an absolute scandal — time is fast running out for this little girl.
“These dogs have immense capability. Their tracking skills are among the finest in the world.
“The dogs were put on standby to go to the Algarve within days of Madeleine’s disappearance.
“You would expect the Portuguese to make use of the best resources available to them, but they repeatedly ignore the offers of assistance.”
The dogs have been trained to an exceptionally high standard and are even able to identify traces of blood on a weapon which has been wiped 'clean'.