THE mother of Madeleine McCann fears she will be charged over her daughter's death, a family friend has said.

Detectives suggested to Kate McCann in questioning on Thursday that traces of her daughter's blood had been found in a Renault Scenic the family hired 25 days after Madeleine disappeared. Mrs McCann told the officers there was "no way" this could be the case, the friend said.

The news emerged as Mrs McCann was formally made an "arguida", or suspect, by Portuguese police investigating four-year-old Madeleine's disappearance from the family's holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on May 3.