A former police man who headed up the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance says he believes she's still alive.
Retired Detective Inspector Dave Edgar has offered to "come back on board" in the search. He was formerly part of a multi-million pound hunt for the girl for three years.
Edgar says he believes someone is protecting the girl's kidnappers and doesn't believe her parents Gerry and Kate McCann had anything to do with her disappearance in 2007, the Sun reports.
He told The Sun: "They have no intention of ever giving up looking for their daughter.
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"I believe Madeleine is still alive and the case can be solved.
"I would strongly consider coming back to help as a private investigator if required."
Madeleine was three-years-old when she disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, whilst her parents were out dining with friends.
If still alive, Madeleine would now be 13-years-old, with many believing she may still be being held by her kidnappers as there have been a number of cases where victims have emerged after being held in captivity for years.
"Until such time that a body is found it is a live investigation and there is always hope," Edgar said.
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He said the £13 million Home Office funding given to Scotland Yard during their investigation is "not nearly enough for a crime of this complexity and scale."
He added: "It sounds a lot but it's not!"
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As someone who helped with the investigation for a long time, he has previously said he also believes:
- There is no evidence to suggest Kate and Gerry were involved
- It was a well planned abduction
- There was no evidence against two prime suspects of abducting her from Praia Da Luz in May
- The motive for taking three-year-old Madeleine was sexual
- There is still hope she is alive
In regards to his theory that the motive for taking her was sexual, he said: "There was a very narrow window of opportunity for them to get away with Madeleine. So it does point to it being planned and some level of surveillance, perhaps of the apartment."
He added: "If the motive was gang-related child prostitution, there might have been more than one involved."
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He hopes that this appeal of the heart could bring a breakthrough: "They [kidnappers] can't keep it to themselves and research has shown they always confide in someone else.
"I think that someone else apart from the perpetrator knows and that is one of the best hopes of getting to the truth, that someone comes forward and says what they know."
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When asked about the involvement of Madeleine's parents, Mr Edgar said: "I was looking at everything and that would include them.
"If I found any evidence against Kate and Gerry I would have given it to the police immediately. Kate and Gerry would expect no less. But I found no shred of evidence.
"We obviously look at all factors - motive, preparation, opportunity - and there was absolutely nothing."
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The McCanns were recently locked in an eight-year long battle with another former-detective, Goncalo Amaral, over a book he wrote claiming the parents pretended Madeleine went missing to cover up her death.
In 2015, a Lisbon court ordered Amaral to pay Kate and Gerry €500,000 (£424,000) in compensation for the claims made in the book. But an appeals court overturned that conviction last year before reaching Portugal's top court.
Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: Madeleine McCann