MISSING Madeleine McCann's father will return to a Portuguese court today in the hope that he can give evidence at his family's libel case against a former local police chief.

Gerry McCann wants to give evidence in the case against Goncalo Amaral, who published a book making allegations about Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007.

The McCanns say the claims in the book The Truth Of The Lie, including suggestions that they hid their daughter's body after she died in an accident, damaged the hunt for Madeleine.