It is almost a decade since Madeleine McCann went missing while on holiday with her family in Portugal.

News today confirms that the British Home Office has confirmed extra funding of £85,000 to continue the investigation into her disappearance.

The Daily Mail reports that Kate and Gerry McCann are "very grateful" for the support as they continue to search for their missing daughter.

The slow-moving investigation had been in danger of stopping altogether so this comes as welcome news for the couple.

Three-year-old Maddie vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal's Praia da Luz nearly in May 2007 while they were dining nearby with friends.

A statement from the Home Office said:

"Following an application from the Metropolitan Police for Special Grant funding, the Home Office has confirmed £85,000 in operational costs for Operation Grange for the period 1 April until September 2017. As with all applications, the resources required are reviewed regularly and careful consideration is given before any new funding is allocated."

It is believed that officers on the case are chasing up one last "throw of the dice" in their painstaking investigation.