Madeleine 'seen in Belgian bank'

1:04pm Saturday 9th August 2008

Police are examining CCTV footage of a girl seen in a Belgian bank who could be Madeleine McCann, it was reported.

A bank security worker said she saw the girl on Monday, accompanied by a woman of North African appearance, on CCTV footage from a branch of KBC Bank in the west of Brussels.

The footage has now been handed to police who told reporters the child "was said to be much like Madeleine".

Belgian police said they had received more than 100 reports of possible sightings of the youngster and around 30 merited further investigation.

The sightings come after it was revealed a Scotland Yard informant suggested Madeleine was stolen to order by a Belgian paedophile gang.

Met sources said they did "everything possible" with the tip and, despite warnings that the Scotland Yard intelligence may be flawed, investigators employed by Gerry and Kate McCann are vigorously pursuing the leads in Belgium.

The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the couple's investigators welcomed information about all possible sightings but were most interested in recent reports.

"The critical information they really need is recent sightings that would suggest where Madeleine is now."

He urged people to pass on any leads to the detectives using the contact numbers on the McCanns' website, www.findmadeleine.com.

Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family's holiday flat in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on May 3 last year.