Portuguese detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have asked for the case's secrecy limit to be extended beyond the usual eight months, officials said.
Portuguese law provides for an eight-month period where documents remain classified after police identify a formal suspect, with the deadline in the McCann case due to expire next week.
Police can ask for an extension and - while a case remains classified - official suspects, police and lawyers can be prosecuted if they discuss it in public.
A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office confirmed investigators had asked for an extension but she declined to provide details, although the Portuguese media said a three-month extension had been sought because of the complexity of the case.
No date has been given for any decision by the attorney general on the request.
Madeleine vanished last May, a few days before her fourth birthday, from her bedroom during a family holiday in the Algarve region.
The first formal suspect in her disappearance was Robert Murat, a British man who lives near the hotel from which she vanished. He has denied involvement.
Weeks later, Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann were also named as suspects. They have denied involvement in their daughter's disappearance and have launched a worldwide campaign to find her.
Murat and the McCanns have complained that they are unable to give their versions of events because of the secrecy laws.
Portuguese detectives met last month with forensic scientists from Britain who have examined evidence in the case.
Last updated at 21:52pm on 11.01.08
A woman whose modelling agency offers Madeleine McCann lookalikes for hire has been received death threats.
Shona Juliet-Adams, 41, said she had received "threatening phone calls and death threats" since the £600-an-hour lookalike trade was revealed.
Her firm, the Juliet Adams Modelling and Talent Casting Agency, had been contacted by parents who said their daughters looked like the missing four-year-old.
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For hire: Madeleine lookalike Kelsey Lynn Kudla. Madeleine McCann lookalikes are being offered for hire by a talent agency at £600 an hour
Three-year-old American girl Kelsey Lynn Kudla was said to bear a "compelling" resemblance to Madeleine, and Ms Adams said she would have a good chance of earning £9million if she played the child in any films about the disappearance.
But her comments triggered a furious reaction after Kate and Gerry McCann's spokesman said the money-making scheme was "disgraceful, hurtful and offensive".
The businesswoman, of Streatham, South West London, refused to apologise and yesterday remained defiant.
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Impersonator: Kelsey Lynn Kudla's services are for sale. It was eight months ago that Madeleine vanished
She said: "I wouldn't back away from it because if a film is being made then it's entertainment."
But she added: "I have had threatening phone calls and death threats.
"I am not speaking to anybody until I have spoken to the police about my security - I received death threats."
Ms Adams said Kelsey Lynn's mother had contacted her from the U.S. about the likeness, and said 120 other "doubles" had been sent to her.
Kelsey Lynn's mother Kris Pfister said her daughter was stopped in the street by strangers who commented on her resemblance to Madeleine.
She claimed her daughter had formed an "emotional bond" with the missing girl because of the likeness.
She said: "When we heard a film might be made, Kelsey said, 'Mommy, I could play Madeleine'". "Every night she prays for Maddy. Every morning she gets me to check if she's been found."
Ms Juliet-Adams said playing the lead role in a Madeleine film was "a huge opportunity", adding: "She will become her name in her own right and make it as a child model and actress because she's got her foot in the door."
The McCanns' representatives have met with production companies and Channel 4 about proposals to make a documentary film about their daughter's disappearance, but have stressed it would not be a Hollywood drama.
Shona Juliet-Adams, the woman behind the Madeleine lookalikes, says she was just doing her job
If the proposal goes ahead the film could be released in cinemas worldwide but is thought to be unlikely to feature child actors playing Madeleine or her twin brother and sister.
A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: "Brixton police have received a complaint from a 41-year-old woman with regards to threats to kill.
"Brixton CID are investigating, there have been no arrests and our inquiries are continuing."
The agency, based in a council flat in Streatham, South-West London, has scores of lookalikes, including Queen, Elvis and Harry Potter impersonators.
Her modelling and talent agency has offered Kelsey Lynn Kudla a 30-minute photo session costing £300.
A contract for more extensive work was available for a £500 non-refundable payment, plus £1,057 up front and another £3,500 on completion.
Miss Juliet-Adams said: "The entertainment world is an expensive business.
"We've kept them [the Madeleine lookalikes] on our books, but it is not such a sensitive issue now as the McCanns will obviously be looking for someone to play Maddie in the film."
Earlier this week, it was reported that a film about Madeleine's disappearance could raise £2million for the campaign to find her.
Asked if she would apologise to the family, Miss Juliet-Adams said: "I'm just doing my job. I provide lookalikes.
"I've done nothing wrong."
Kate and Gerry McCann are said to be deeply offended by the Madeleine lookalikes
In an email, Miss Juliet-Adams wrote: "Her daughter is completely aware of this missing little girl and also aware that she bears an extreme resemblance to this child.
"The parents are stopped everywhere by numerous people - in shopping centres, grocery stores and many other places and told how much she resembles this missing child."
Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, said: "This is an offensive way to make money out of Madeleine's disappearance.
"This is deeply offensive to Kate and Gerry. I would urge this woman to think again about what she is doing."
It also emerged yesterday that the detective agency hired by the McCanns to locate their daughter is facing the sack.
Metodo 3, which has cost the Find Madeleine fund £50,000 a month since September, has so far failed to turn up any firm evidence of her whereabouts.
Its director, Francisco Marco, has also angered the McCanns by boasting he knew where the four-year-old was.
With the agency's six-month contract running out in March, a McCann family source said: "We will carry on the search for Madeleine but not necessarily with Metodo 3. We are stuck with them to the end of the contracted period.
"The question of whether it is renewed or not has still to be decided.
"They have faced not having their contract renewed ever since Francisco shot his mouth off. It was made clear what they were doing was foolish and unhelpful."
The fund's directors have not ruled out sacking the firm, which represents the not-for-profit company's single biggest expense.
The Barcelona-based agency's investigators have followed up leads and sightings of Madeleine in Portugal, Spain and Morocco.
Mr Mitchell said: "We were unhappy with some of the public comments and that was made very clear to Metodo 3 and, since then, Francisco has made no further comments."
He said the Find Madeleine board members and the McCanns' multi-millionaire backer, double glazing tycoon Brian Kennedy, would meet to discuss the contract next month.
The Find Madeleine fund has raised £1.2million but is expected to run out of cash by June.
In a Vanity Fair interview published this week, Mr McCann, a hospital consultant from Rothley in Leicestershire, admitted he felt guilty over his daughter's disappearance.
She vanished from the family's holiday villa in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 last year.
The fund yesterday filled two vacancies on its board of directors.
Coming in are Jon Corner, a family friend of the McCanns who has worked in TV production, and Edward Smethurst, a commercial law specialist..
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The government in Morocco has announced plans to develop several new tourist areas in the country to help achieve its goal of attracting ten million visitors by 2010.
Tourism minister Mohamed Boussaid said $14.4 million would be spent creating desert and oasis resorts in the southern regions of Errachidia, Ouarzazate and Zagora, Maghreb Arabe Presse reports.
Hotel units will be built in these resorts alongside camping grounds and other facilities to cater for tourists holidaying in the north African country.
Mr Boussaid said the government hopes to integrate areas of Morocco where tourism projects are currently lacking by promoting their natural beauty.
The development of the new resorts and the drive to attract more tourists may be good news for property investors in Morocco, who could benefit from increased demand for holiday accommodation.
Official figures show that between January and October 2007 the number of tourists visiting Morocco increased by 14 per cent to reach 6.3 million.
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