Madeleine McCann cops to start digging up resort where she vanished

It's been more than seven years since British toddler Madeline McCann was last seen at a Portuguese resort.

But now, after reopening the investigation, British police say the search for the missing girl will enter a new phase. The Daily Mirror reports Scotland Yard detectives will now travel to Portugal "to launch extensive digs" in the holiday area where Madeleine vanished.

The BBC notes according to that report, Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, have been briefed by investigators about the plans to use radar equipment to comb three areas for clues to their daughter's disappearance.

Madeleine's disappearance in 2007 triggered an international manhunt that became one of most heavily reported missing persons case of the last decade.

Global News reports Madeleine was just three years old when she vanished from her family's vacation apartment in Praia da Luz. Her parents reportedly left Madeleine and her siblings sleeping in the apartment when they went out to dinner nearby with friends. When they returned, she was gone.

According to Fox News, the investigation "has been marked by tension between the [British] Police and Portuguese investigators."

According to NBC British detectives claim local authorities in Portugal still have yet to share requested files and evidence from the original investigation. Even now, a source close to the McCanns says British police aren't acting on a specific tip, but rather are searching the area for clues local authorities may have missed.

The McCanns publicly maintain that their daughter is still alive. Madeleine would be 11 years old on May 12.