This is what I feared when I first heard the news yesterday.
Madeleine McCann's parents had their hopes crushed again last night after a dramatic "sighting" in India was revealed as another girl, not Maddie.
An elderly British woman and American man spotted a girl resembling Maddie with a couple in the remote town of Leh. Maddie would now be eight, and a little girl with a remarkable resemblance was taken for DNA testing this week.
The British woman alerted other tourists and an American man even tried to grab the little girl away from her parents.
Indian detectives arrived and confiscated passports belonging to the mother and father, a Belgian man and French woman. DNA tests are being carried out to establish the girl's identity.
Although the DNA tests have not come back yet, the McCanns say the child is definitely not Maddie. Their spokesperson said: "Kate and Gerry do not believe the child was Madeleine. They have seen photographic evidence and concluded that it was not her."
A journalist on the scene said the girl looked exactly like the missing child: "She had a striking resemblance to the picture of Madeleine before she disappeared."
Mr Singh said the girl appeared confused and the parents could offer no proof she was their daughter, although the girl confirmed she was.
The journalist added: "She was hiding her face behind the French lady. She could speak fluent French."
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| What Maddie Is Expected To Look Like Now Aged 8 |
Maddie was nearly 4-years-old when she vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.
Their McCann's representative thanked people last night for still looking for Maddie, who they believe is still alive:
"We remain grateful for people's vigilance around the world. Madeleine is still out there - and the search for her very much continues."
