UK police ask for tourist photos in hunt for girl

LONDON (Reuters) - Tourists who stayed at the Portuguese resort where 4-year-old Madeleine McCann was abducted were urged on Monday to hand over any holiday photographs which might contain clues to the British child's kidnapper.

British detectives would use advanced facial recognition software to scan the pictures and pass on any useful information to Portuguese police.

British police said they wanted pictures from anyone who had been at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz or the surrounding area in the two weeks before Madeleine's disappearance on May 3.

"Look at your prints and see if there are, for instance, people in the background of the picture that at first you may not have noticed," said Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the police Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

"These are the pictures we want," he added.

"By taking in pictures from the public we can move the investigation forward -- looking for people who might seem out of place or behaving strangely."

Photos should be uploaded to a special website www.madeleine.ceopupload.com.

Madeleine's father Gerry McCann flew home to England on Monday for the first time since she went missing. He is expected to return to Portugal on Tuesday.

So far, one suspect has been identified by Portuguese police -- a 33-year-old who lives in the area -- but his name has not been made public and he has not been charged.