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A new search for evidence on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in areas of Praia Da Luz once frequented by Christian Brueckner has been called off a day early.

Teams of German detectives investigating the disappearance of 18 years ago have taken samples of potential evidence from properties near Praia Da Luz in Portugal. Emergency services, including police from and Germany as well as firefighters, were looking into abandoned property near the area where .

Rubble was removed from derelict buildings in the area and it is understood new radar technology was also being used to search underground.

Officers were seen searching the undergrowth with pitchforks as they combed land in an area on the outskirts of Lagos in the Algarve on Thursday.

As the search drew to a close, German and Portuguese investigators shook hands and embraced one another.

A debrief was conducted as they stood in a circle, after which they began to applaud each other.

They spent two days thoroughly checking one derelict building, even using a ground-penetrating radar to scan some land once it had been clered of vegetation.

The Metropolitan police confirmed that no British officers had taken part in the search. There has been no official comment as yet from authorities about the conclusion of the search. So far, officers have not announced they have found anything significant.

Police officers are running out of time to find vital DNA clues, with the main German suspect set for release from prison in September.

Christian B. is currently serving a jail term for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005.

A Portuguese police source said last night: "This really is a last ditch effort - search teams here are hoping they get lucky. Officers are determined to do everything they possibly can before Brueckner walks free. They know what is at stake."

Madeleine was just three years old when she vanished in 2007 from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while her parents dined with friends nearby.