A further £150,000 has been granted for detectives hunting for missing Madeleine McCann.

The Home Office confirmed on Tuesday that it has allocated the money to allow Scotland Yard to continue its investigation until March.

Madeleine was three when she was last seen while on holiday with her parents in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.

Scotland Yard launched its own investigation, Operation Grange, into her disappearance in 2013, after a Portuguese inquiry failed to make any headway.

Force bosses have been applying for funding from the Home Office every six months to continue the inquiry, which has cost about £11.75 million so far.

In 2017, Yard detectives were said to be in pursuit of a woman “dressed in purple” in connection with the disappearance, which has generated sustained global interest even as time has passed.

Earlier that year, Operation Grange officials were said to be closing in on a “significant” line of enquiry, but no further details were made public.

Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have always pledged never to give up the search for their daughter.

Mum Kate made emotional comments earlier this year in support of a broader missing children’s appeal on social media.

She said: “Having a missing child, you live in anguish and hope that one day you’ll find the answer that leads you to them.

“It feels isolating, and for families like mine with a missing child, knowing that people care and want to help is so important.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We have confirmed that Special Grant funding of £150,000 will be provided to the Metropolitan Police Service for the six-month period to 31 March 2019.”