Madeleine McCann: Police To Dig For Evidence

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 12:46pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

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Scots Independence: Rest Of UK Firms Want Union

By Niall Paterson, Sky News Correspondent

An overwhelming majority of businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland say that Scotland should remain part of the UK, according to a survey for the British Chambers of Commerce.

The BCC, which itself remains impartial in the debate, surveyed close to 2,500 of its members, and whilst 11% said Scotland should vote yes, some 85% preferred the union to remain.

Two thirds said no new opportunities would arise in the event of a 'Yes' vote, and just over a third, 35%, said a formal currency union, a key ambition of the SNP-led campaign, would be in the best interests of the UK as a whole.

The BCC's director general John Longworth said: "Business opinion across the United Kingdom on the Scottish independence debate is far from unanimous. That's only logical, as businesses have different interests, and different views on our complex history of economic and political union.

"In the event of a 'Yes' vote, cross-border trading and currency arrangements loom large in businesses' thinking. If Scotland votes 'no', constitutional questions remain around the devolution of power and the distribution of public funding between nations."

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond (R) and his deputy Nicola Sturgeon

The poll has been seized upon by those campaigning for a 'No' vote, as with a recent report from credit ratings agency Moody's which said an independent Scotland would find itself downgraded.

Edinburgh South Labour MP and Shadow Business Minister Ian Murray said: "This survey confirms what some of Scotland's largest employers like Standard Life, RBS and Shell have made clear. Breaking up the UK would create huge risks and cost jobs in Scotland.

"The majority of businesses in the rest of the UK do not support a currency union. It would be bad for Scotland and bad for the rest of the UK. That's why it is off the table.

"What people in Scotland need from the nationalists is some honesty about what would replace the pound if we leave the UK. Would we rush to adopt the euro or would we set up a separate Scottish currency? The idea that Scots can go to the polls blind on this fundamental issue isn't credible."

Yet there is hardly unanimity north of the border either - nor an overwhelming sense of fear that cross-border trade would come to a juddering halt.

Many here expect business to continue if not entirely as normal then with significant benefits in the longer term.

Tony Banks, chairman of Business for Scotland, a pro-independence campaign group with close to two thousand members said: "This is a survey that of course doesn't include Scottish businesses who have a rather different perception.

"Scottish independence offers real advantages to everyone, not only in Scotland but across our shared markets in Europe - that independence doesn't equal isolation and businesses here are well aware of the opportunities they can gain.

"Even the Scottish Chambers of Commerce survey issued last week conceded that 53% of its members see the opportunities that independence could bring."

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Ten Years In Prison For Banned Drivers Who Kill

Disqualified drivers who kill while behind the wheel are to face longer jail terms.

From next year, offenders who ignore their driving bans will be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if they cause a death on the road.

Reforms will also see drivers face up to four years in jail for causing serious injuries.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the plans would send a clear message to those who flout the law and "go on to destroy innocent lives".

Under present regulations, there is no specific offence of causing serious injury while banned.

The current maximum sentence a motorist faces for causing death while driving when disqualified is two years in prison.

Some 16 people were prosecuted in 2012, of which 13 were convicted for the offence when disqualified, unlicensed or uninsured.

A full review of all driving offences and penalties, including those committed by uninsured and unlicensed drivers, also forms part of the announcement.

Mr Grayling said: "I want to make our roads safer and ensure people who cause harm face tough penalties.

"Disqualified drivers should not be on our roads for good reason.

"Those who choose to defy a ban imposed by a court and go on to destroy innocent lives must face serious consequences for the terrible impact of their actions."

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Ethnic Minority Population 'To Double By 2050'

The proportion of UK citizens from ethnic minority communities is set to double over the next 35 years, a report by think-tank Policy Exchange has found.

The report claims black and minority ethnic communities will make up almost a third of the UK population by 2050.

Currently eight million people, or 14% of the UK population, are from ethnic minority groups.

The report said that figure has doubled in the last decade alone and accounts for 80% of the UK's population growth.

The majority of non-white Britons identify themselves as "British only", it said.

The right-leaning think-tank used the report, In A Portrait Of Modern Britain, to highlight the growing importance of ethnic minority voters in the future.

It said the UK's five largest minority groups have "clear and meaningful" differences in experiences, traditions and attitudes, which policymakers have so far failed to address.

It warned politicians must start appealing to the differing views and concerns of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black African and Black Caribbean ethnic groups over the coming years.

David Cameron's party won just 16% of the ethnic minority vote in 2010

Rishi Sunak, report co-author and head of Policy Exchange's BME Research Unit, said: "These communities will continue to become an ever more significant part of Britain, especially in future elections.

"However, as our research demonstrates, ethnic minorities are not one homogeneous political group.

"From education to employment, housing to trust in the police, politicians from all parties must understand the different issues affecting individual communities."

Voting intention was found to be one of the few shared traits between the different groups.

The report said ethnic minority communities overwhelmingly identified with and voted for the Labour Party, with 68% having voted for Gordon Brown's party at the 2010 General Election.

That compared with just 16% for the Conservatives and 14% for the Liberal Democrats.

Last month Conservative MP Adam Afriyie warned the party would struggle to increase its voter base among ethnic minorities in time for the next election. 

He said even if Prime Minister David Cameron adapted his policies and "does everything perfectly" in the run-up to the 2015 General Election, the party would not be able to make significant gains.

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Gerry Adams Back On Sinn Fein Campaign Trail

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams will be returning to the campaign trail today for the forthcoming local and European elections after being freed by police investigating a notorious IRA murder.

Less than an hour after he was freed from questioning, he said he was an innocent man and denied all involvement in the abduction, killing and burial of widowed mother-of-10 Jean McConville in 1972.

He offered the police his full, ongoing support but warned he was "concerned about the timing" of his arrest which came before the polls.

Sinn Fein has accused an "anti-peace process rump" within the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) of orchestrating the detention with the aim of damaging the party ahead of the polls.

It had also warned it would review its support for policing if Mr Adams was charged.

Armoured Land Rovers were prevented from leaving the police station

The republican party is holding a European election rally in Belfast this evening and a similar event in Dublin on Tuesday.

The decision to let him go on Sunday night after four days in custody being questioned was met with anger as loyalist protesters attempted to block the road outside the police station to stop him leaving.

Mr Adams, 65, told a news conference in west Belfast: "Let me be very clear - I am innocent of any involvement in any conspiracy to abduct, kill or bury Mrs McConville.

"I have worked hard with others to have this injustice redressed and for the return of others killed during the conflict and secretly buried by the IRA, and I will continue to do so.

"While the past needs to be dealt with and Sinn Fein is up for doing this, including the issue of victims and their families, there can be no going back.

"Peace needs to be built with a determination and a consistent focus."

He also revealed he did not eat during the first two days of his detention.

He said: "The old guard which is against change, whether in the PSNI leadership, within elements of unionism or the far fringes of self-proclaimed but pseudo-republicans - they can't win.

"The dark side of the British system cannot be allowed to deny anyone - Catholic, Protestant or dissenter - from our entitlement to a rights-based citizens-centred society as set out in the Good Friday Agreement.

"I've never disassociated myself with the IRA, and I never will. But I'm glad that I an others have created a peaceful and democratic way forward for everyone. The IRA is gone, finished."

As Mr Adams gave a news conference at a west Belfast hotel, Mrs McConville's son Michael called for an independent body to investigate the allegations made against Mr Adams "so there is no political pressure on the police".

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Teen Held Over Fatal Stabbing Of 17-Year-Old

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested over the murder of a 17-year-old boy in south London.

Police were called to Tilford House, Holmewood Gardens, in Brixton at 5pm on Sunday after reports of a stabbing.

The victim was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem examination will be scheduled "in due course", a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.

The 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to a South London police station for questioning.

Police are continuing to appeal for information concerning the killing.

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Slavery Becomes 'Big Business' In Britain

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

The number of people being used as "slaves" in the UK is increasing, according to a charity.

Hope for Justice, which campaigns against human trafficking, says the problem of forced labour, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation is a "massive" problem in Britain.

Sky News has obtained Freedom of Information figures showing that within the last three years 336 "slavery" offences were investigated by police in the UK.

Allan Doherty, the head of operations for Hope for Justice, says the statistics are not a true representation of the problem.

"On estimate it must be at least 10 times that, and that is just for the number of offences being investigated by law enforcement agencies.

"The actual number of trafficking victims is probably 100 times that again, because at least 90% of victims probably never even come to the attention of authorities or charities such as ours because it's such a hidden crime."

The freedom of information figures show that out of 336 offences, 170 were investigated by the Metropolitan Police in London, and 88 in Scotland - both have dedicated human trafficking units.

One reason given for the low figure released under the Freedom of Information Act is the way in which crimes are recorded. Often the more serious offence, such as rape or assault, is logged instead.

Hope for Justice also says that in the past front line services have not recognised the signs of trafficking but the situation is getting better.

Last year alone, the charity trained up to 700 police officers and social services staff to spot the characteristics displayed by trafficking victims.

In a statement the Minister for Slavery and Organised Crime, Karen Bradley, said the Government is doing everything within its power "to stamp out the evil in our midst".

The Modern Slavery Bill is being introduced by the Government

"The Government is introducing a Modern Slavery Bill, the first of its kind in Europe. We have set up an international group of Police - the Santa Marta Group - so that we can work internationally to stamp out this very complex crime.

"The Bill will ensure that victims are protected and that slave drivers will for the first time face life imprisonment.

"Work is being done to establish a better intelligence picture of the scale of this horrendous crime, and our chief scientist is looking at how we can gather an improved picture of what we are dealing with."

Pavel, who wanted to remain anonymous, was brought over to the UK and became a victim of slavery.

He was forced to work seven days a week in a car wash for no pay, one meal a day, and had to sleep on the floor with two other men, also slaves, in the same room.

"I feel embarrassed to talk about it because I felt terrible. It's somehow impossible to describe, feeling worthlessness, losing my confidence, losing my pride - you feel abused and they treat you like a thing, without any feelings. Every word they say is false."

Pavel was made to work seven days a week for no pay

Pavel lived with the threat of violence and said that one of the other slaves, who had learning difficulties, was also treated as a "maid" within the house.

"He was cleaning their rooms, and he was bringing shopping bags up. He was just their slave.

"Even the police don't know where he ended up, he just disappeared somewhere and no one knows where he is, so I think about him a lot."

Ben Cooley, CEO of Hope for Justice, says modern day slavery is big business in the UK, seen as low risk, often cash in hand, and high profit.

"These traffickers, these slave owners in our country, will find any avenue to raise money, to make money, whether it be rape for profit, forced labour for profit, whether it be domestic servitude.

"They are in it to get money, and they are doing very well out of it. We have rescued victims who have actually made, in a matter of months, £15,000 profit."

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Leeds Teacher Death: Man Charged Over Message

One man has been charged and another arrested in connection with what police describe as "malicious communications" following the murder of teacher Ann Maguire in Leeds.

Mrs Maguire, 61, was stabbed to death in front of her students at Corpus Christi Catholic College last Monday, where she had taught for more than 40 years.

West Yorkshire Police said Jake Newsome, 21, from the Harehills area in Leeds, has been released on bail after being charged for the alleged abuse.

He is due to appear before Leeds Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

A 42-year-old man, from Port Talbot, South Wales, has also been arrested and remains in custody.

Today, prayers will be said at dozens of churches across West Yorkshire for the family of the dedicated Spanish teacher and mother of two.

Mrs Maguire was stabbed during a lesson at Corpus Christi Catholic College

The Catholic Diocese of Leeds has written to around 90 churches urging them to pray for Mrs Maguire, who was due to retire in September.

A spokesman for the diocese said: "We are asking everybody to remember Ann Maguire in their prayers, and to remember her family who will be under pressure and stress at this time.

"She was amazingly well known in the local community for what she had done for young people.

"Everybody is so hurt by what has happened and taking time to recover.

"This is a time to remember her. We are talking about three generations of people - children, parents and grandparents - whose lives she has touched.

"She made a major difference to a lot of people's lives through the care she gave them and her teaching.

"Part of her philosophy was to make sure that students achieved their best, and this is a chance to remember her."

A book of condolence has also been opened at the cathedral in Leeds for those who want to express their sympathies.

A 15 year-old boy is in custody charged with Mrs Maguire's murder.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared via video-link at Leeds Crown Court on Friday. There was no application for bail.

The case was adjourned until July 11 for a plea and case management hearing.

A date for the start of the murder trial was set for November 3.

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Max Clifford: New Claims Under Police Review

Scotland Yard detectives are looking into new allegations against disgraced publicist Max Clifford, who has spent his first night in prison after being jailed for eight years.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said other people had since come forward with allegations since Clifford was sentenced yesterday for a string of sex sexual offences against four women aged 15 to 19.

"We have received further information and this is currently subject to review," he said.

Meanwhile, children's charity NSPCC helpline said the 71-year-old's "substantial sentence" sent a "clear message" that victims of historic abuse can achieve justice.

Its director Peter Watt said: "It's clear the judge has recognised the pain and suffering Clifford caused and the additional distress he put his victims through by forcing them to relive their ordeal in court.

"His victims showed an enormous amount of courage in coming forward, four through the NSPCC helpline, and were treated with contempt throughout by Clifford, who called them liars and fantasists in court.

The prison van carrying Clifford

"As we heard in the trial, Clifford seriously damaged many years of their lives, with some being left suicidal by their terrible experiences at his hands."

He added: "The sentence, and those of other recent cases up and down the country, sends a clear message that victims of non-recent abuse can get justice.

"All allegations, however long after the abuse took place, must be fully investigated and assessed by the police and CPS, with victims fully supported."

Passing sentence, Judge Anthony Leonard told Clifford: "The reason why (your crimes) were not brought to light sooner was because of your dominant character.

"Your victims thought you were untouchable, something I think you too believed."

Judge Leonard condemned Clifford's 'contemptuous' behaviour

He also blasted Clifford for causing an "additional element of trauma" to the women he abused by his "contemptuous attitude".

Judge Leonard said that due to the age of the offences, that occurred between 1977 and 1984, Clifford was charged under an act from 1956, which set the maximum term for each charge at two years.

Under later legislation passed in 2003, the maximum term would have been 10 years, and for the worst instances would have been charged as rape, which attract a maximum life term.

Clifford, who was taken to Wandsworth Prison in south London, will have to serve at least half his sentence.

The former celebrity agent repeatedly shook his head as the judge made his comments in Southwark Crown Court.

Clifford, who branded his accusers "fantasists", remained defiant ahead of his sentencing, saying: "I stand by everything I have said in the last 17 months."

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Cancer Fundraiser Stephen Sutton Leaves Hospital

A terminally-ill teenager who has raised more than £3.1m for charity has been discharged from hospital after a dramatic improvement in his condition.

Stephen Sutton, 19, posted on his Facebook page that he had been allowed to leave hospital after a "remarkable recovery".

He wrote: "I then also have some more great news... I've been discharged from hospital!

"After being at a point where it seemed like I'd never make it out it feels so awesome to be able to put that.

Stephen Sutton has raised more than £3.1m for the Teenage Cancer Trust

"The recovery I've undergone recently is quite remarkable. It has been difficult, there is an emotional trauma attached to nearly dying (a few times) that will take a while to get used to, but ultimately I now feel even more fortunate to just be here and the experience serves as a potent reminder to go out there and live life as freely and as positively as possible."

Earlier this week, the teenager recounted how his breathing "dramatically improved" after he "coughed up a tumour" while in hospital.

He will now recover at home before potentially starting a trial drug treatment.

The teenager's Facebook page has more than 500,000 "likes"

He wrote: "Physically my body has been through a lot recently so naturally I will need some time to recover.

"I have an appointment with the professor in about two weeks time and he's mentioned that if I'm healthy enough there is a trial drug treatment I am eligible for that I could potentially try.

"It would be a 5th different chemotherapy regime for me, with previous others having limited effect, so we will need to seriously discuss the efficacy of me trying it but to even be talking about a few weeks time and having options is a great feeling."

Mr Sutton has now raised more than £3.1m for the Teenage Cancer Trust and has more than 540,000 likes on his Facebook page, where he published a bucket list of things he wanted to achieve before he dies.

He was diagnosed with incurable colorectal cancer at the age of 15 and has released a 10-minute YouTube video called When Life Gives You Cancer, featuring interviews with his mum, his school teachers and his best friend.

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