Madeleine 'could be home by Christmas' - detective

The private detective being paid by Kate and Gerry McCann to find their daughter has claimed he knows who took Madeleine and that he could have her back with her family before Christmas.

Francisco Marco, the director general of Metodo 3, indicated that they were closing in on the four-year-old’s abductor and preparing to hand over their “evidence” to police.

Mr Marco also told the Spanish newspaper Metro that the girl, who was snatched from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve in May, might never have left Portugal.

He said: “We have proof of her movements after her kidnap and we know she was alive the day after her disappearance. We are not certain she left Portugal.

“I talk of certainties because we know which group may have her or could have kidnapped her to then sell her on to others.”

The detective added: “We know who kidnapped her.

“We believe she is in an area not very far from the Iberian peninsula and north Africa. And we have a fairly certain idea who she is with.

“I cannot say who she is with because we are putting together conclusive proof we can present to the authorities so they can proceed with their arrests.”

He also said: “God willing, I hope that she will be back with her parents before Christmas.”

Mr Marco admitted he had no proof Madeleine was not dead but said he had to believe “100%” that she was because he only knew how to look for people who were still alive.

He told Metro: “One of the things that makes us believe Madeleine is alive is that every day, she’s worth more to them. It’s obviously not a kidnap carried out by professionals for economic reasons.

“A professional kidnapper would have done something by now. He would have given her back or left her.”

He also dismissed allegations that the McCanns could have been involved in Madeleine’s disappearance, saying you only had to spend five minutes with them to know they were innocent.

The McCanns’ spokesman Clarence Mitchell said tonight that the family was “pleased” the agency was so confident about ultimately finding Madeleine.

He said: “Metodo Three, the private detective agency we are employing to help find Madeleine, retains our full confidence.

“They are continuing to work very hard on all the information that continues to come up. New leads are being pursued all the time.

“Clearly we will not discuss the details of those leads for sensitive operational reasons but we are pleased the agency is confident is that they will find Madeleine in due course.”

The Spanish-based detective agency was hired by Madeleine’s parents to carry out a parallel investigation to the police probe into her apparent abduction.

Mr Marco, who heads up a 40-strong team, vowed to find the missing girl within five months.

The McCanns were dining with friends when Madeleine went missing from their holiday apartment shortly before her fourth birthday in Praia da Luz on May 3.

They were named formal suspects in the case in September but have repeatedly denied any involvement in her disappearance and rejected suggestions they could have killed her accidentally.