The parents of Madeleine McCann could face charges of neglecting their daughter on the night she disappeared.

Court documents published on a news website reveal the areas Portuguese investigators are considering include "abandonment", and show that the police inquiry also covers possible abduction, homicide and concealment of a corpse.

The documents are the first official confirmation that the inquiry includes a possible allegation of neglect against Kate and Gerry McCann.

Clarence Mitchell, the couple's spokesman, emphasised the court papers did not mean such a charge would materialise.

He said: "This court document outlines the areas of the investigation and in no way suggests Kate and Gerry will be facing any such charges.

"Equally we have heard nothing officially to suggest any such area of investigation is being considered."

He added: "However we do note that abduction is apparently one of the parameters and we welcome that because that is what Kate and Gerry and their friends have said and that is what happened.

"If there is any suggestion of neglect charges being considered that will be vigorously denied because the legal advice that Kate and Gerry have received both in Portugal and Britain is that legally speaking everything they were doing that week was well within the bounds of responsible parenting."

A neglect charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years, but it is understood for such a charge to stand up the prosecutors would have to show the McCanns intended to neglect Madeleine.

The youngster disappeared from the couple's holiday apartment in Praia de Luz on May 3 last year while they dined with friends a short distance away.

Members of their group would return to the apartment at regular intervals to check on Madeleine and her twin siblings.

The youngster's fifth birthday was on May 12.

The court documents also reveal the public prosecutor sought access to text and phone messages from ten mobile phones thought to belong to the McCanns and seven of their friends.

Investigators also wanted to see the content of 18 text messages allegedly sent to Mr McCann from an unidentified number - 14 on May 2 and four more on May 4.

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