A Polish woman who gained widespread attention after claiming to be Madeleine McCann has been arrested at Bristol Airport. Julia Wandelt, 23, was detained on suspicion of stalking and harassing Madeleine’s parents as she arrived in the UK on Thursday evening, her representative has confirmed.
Wandelt was taken into custody at around 8pm, according to her representative, Surjit Singh Clair, who told WalesOnline that she was arrested upon arrival in the UK. Police have also confirmed that a second woman, a 60-year-old from Wales, was detained at the airport as part of an ongoing investigation.
Madeleine McCann was just three years old when she disappeared while on holiday with her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, in Portugal in 2007. Wandelt gained significant online attention in February 2023 after publicly asserting that she was the missing child.
Reports suggest she was travelling to Cardiff to visit a friend when she was arrested.
A spokesperson for Leicestershire Police stated: “Last night (Wednesday 19 February), two women were arrested at Bristol Airport as part of an ongoing investigation. A 23-year-old woman from Poland and a 60-year-old woman from Wales were arrested on suspicion of stalking involving serious alarm/distress. They both remain in custody, and enquiries are continuing.”
Further details regarding the nature of the allegations and the investigation have yet to be disclosed.
Woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann arrested at Bristol Airport alongside Welsh woman
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