Who is Jim Gamble and what claims does he make in Netflix doc the Disappearance of Madeleine McCann?

18 March 2019, 12:36 | Updated: 1 April 2020, 09:01

The top child protection officer still believes that the disappearance of Madeline McCann will be solved.

Madeline McCann's dissapeared during a family holiday in Portugal in 2007 and the British public has taken a reignited interest in the shocking case following the release of a Netflix documentary.

While the chilling film doesn't feature Madeline's parents Kate and Gerry, it does include interviews with key players in the initial hunt for those responsible.

Who is Jim Gamble?

Jim Gamble is the top detective, recognised as putting child abuse to the forefront of the British police agenda.

He served as the senior child protection officer in the UK's first investigation into Maddie's disappearance.

After starting his career as an ordinary policeman, Jim became known for being an expert in child crime and online risks.

Jim was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the 2008 New Year Honours list.

What are Jim Gamble's claims in the Netflix Madeleine McCann documentary?

Speaking in the new Netflix documentary, Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Jim claimed: "I absolutely believe that in my lifetime we will find out what has happened to Madeleine McCann.

“There’s huge hope to be had with the advances in technology.

"Year on year DNA is getting better. Year on year other techniques, including facial recognition, are getting better.

“And as we use that technology to revisit and review that which we captured in the past, there’s every likelihood that something we already know will slip into position.”

Jim Gamble also suggested that Maddie's disappearance could be due to human trafficking.

He argued: "There is no doubt that human trafficking is a massive problem.

"On the internet you can go into those dark places and say, 'This is who I am and this is what I do'... And you're made to feel better about who you are because there's so many others."

When did Madeleine McCann go missing?

Madeleine went missing on 3 May 2007. Her parents were out to dinner with seven other friends at a tapas restaurant in the resort they were staying at in Algarve, Portugal, and they had left the kids on their own in their apartment. They checked on them frequently throughout the evening, but when Kate returned to the apartment at 10PM, Madeleine was missing and the bedroom window was open.

How much funding has the Madeleine McCann search received?

It is estimated that the investigation into her disappearance has received around £11.6million so far. A source previously told The Mirror: "Whatever happens, the search will go on. If the police search comes to an end, there are other avenues to explore."And a spokesman for the McCanns said: "They remain incredibly grateful to the police. They hope the Scotland Yard investigation continues and that more funding is granted."