Two e-fit images have been released of a man of 'vital importance'
Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have asked for the public's help to identify a man in an appeal they say is of "vital importance".
Two e-fit images, believed to be of the same man, have been drawn up based on statements and descriptions from two different witnesses who saw this man in the Praia da Luz area of Portugal.
They will feature on BBC's Crimewatch programme tonight.
The sightings are from the evening of Thursday 3 May 2007, the night the three-year-old went missing.
She disappeared from a holiday apartment as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.
Scotland Yard said work by detectives has given them a far greater understanding of the times when the abduction could have taken place.
The witnesses have described the man in the e-fit as being white, aged between 20 and 40, with short brown hair, of medium build, medium height and clean shaven.
One of the main priorities for the investigation is being able to identify the man, police added.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, the senior investigating officer, said that while this is far from being the only line of inquiry, it is of "vital importance".
"Whilst this man may or may not be the key to unlocking this investigation, tracing and speaking to him is of vital importance to us.
"We have witnesses placing him in the resort area around the time of Madeleine's disappearance."
There will be e-fits released of other sightings as well, of people they are equally keen to trace, he added.
He said that detectives have been able to "make massive steps forward" by drawing together all the material gathered to date and reviewing it as a whole.
"Praia da Luz is a popular holiday destination for many nationalities so our requests for help need to be repeated in many different countries.
"I will be travelling to Holland, Germany and Ireland to seek the support of the public there."
He added: "Portugal is a key country for us to trace any outstanding witnesses and our appeals will be repeated there."
Former Metropolitan Police detective Jacqui Hames said investigators are providing new detail on the whereabouts of people in the area when the little girl went missing.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke, she said: "It would appear that the officers have meticulously gone over interviews of people who were brought forward at the time and reassessed what they said.
"It would appear, we'll hear more in Crimewatch tonight, that they have come up more theories about what might have happened during that 90 minutes when Madeleine was on her own, but also where everybody else was.
"There may have been discrepancies in what people originally said," she added.