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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
World
John Bett & Cian O'Broin

Madeleine McCann clue that could open the case after 'secret lair' found

Madeleine McCann has been missing since 2007 and police searching a reservoir in Portugal are after uncovering a clue that could possibly crack open one of the world's most famous missing persons case.

They started the search on Monday after finding a series of photos and videos in convicted rapist's and prime suspect Christian Brueckner's "secret lair".

German officers are thought to have found the media in a secluded area in an unused factory site in the German village of Neuwegersleben, 65 miles south-east of Hanover, The Mirror reported.

READ MORE: Young woman airlifted to hospital after cliff climbing accident in Clare

They are now at a search of the Barragem do Arade reservoir, located 31 miles from the Praia da Luz in Portugal, where Madeleine and her family were vacationing when Maddie was last seen in May 2007.

Christian Brückner referred to it as "his little paradise".

A source has revealed that police could be searching for "rags", piossibly the pink Marks & Spencer pyjamas worn by Maddie on the night she went missing, reported The Times.

Authorities found the images of the reservoir when Brueckner was arrested six years ago.

He is now in a German jail for a rape he committed in Portugal two years before Madeleine went missing in the country, and he is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasn't been charged.

The Leicester girl's disappearance has been a mystery for the past 16 years however the ongoing search of the reservoir has sparked up possible clues again.

A search team have focused on a small peninsula jutting into the water, as a group walked in a line and scoured the area, as Sky News reports.

A dog and a trainer were in tow, and a member of the group was referring to a device he carried.

A Portuguese source close to the investigation told The Sun: "The search is being taken very seriously and is being controlled totally by the Germans.

"They asked Portuguese officers assisting them to look for any evidence - but especially rags."

Prosecutors said: "Portuguese police are going to carry out a thorough and very careful search of the area today.

"Policia Judiciaria officers are going to be divided into four teams who will focus on a land search. It will be very meticulous and exhaustive. Forget the idea of big trucks and large machinery. A lot of the work that's going to be done here today will be done by hand with backup technology."

Specialist equipment for identifying remains are expected to be used.

German prosecutor Christian Wolter said: "We are investigating in Portugal on the basis of certain tips (tip-offs)."

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