Madeleine McCann suspect admits being within yards of villa on night she went missing - and being stopped by police three times

The chief suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has admitted he was 150 yards from her holiday apartment on the night she vanished.

Christian Brueckner, a convicted sex offender, admitted to journalists he was on a beach in Praia de Luz "selling drugs" near the McCann's resort.

Brueckner is alleged by German detectives to have snatched the three-year-old from the holiday flat in May 2007 as her parents Gerry and Kate McCann dined close by.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Brueckner said: "I was on the beach, not far from Maddie’s hotel, selling drugs. I’d been in Spain and smuggled weed into Portugal.

"I was even stopped by police three times on the street [in Praia da Luz] while they were looking for Maddie.

"Luckily, they didn’t find the drugs. My van was full of them. I was making a quick getaway; there were flashing blue lights and checkpoints everywhere. I just thought, ‘Get me out of here.'"

Brueckner, 49, has never been formally charged with Maddie's abduction and murder, but he was named by German police as their chief suspect in 2020.

Detectives said they had compelling evidence to link Brueckner to the vicinity of the MacCann's holiday let, including a mobile phone registered in his name which was traced nearby.

Brueckner has consistently denied any involvement in Maddie's fate and has not previously disclosed his whereabouts on the night she was abducted.

He states he did this as "police want to frame me for the Maddie thing".

Brueckner's activities have been heavily investigated by police in his native Germany after he was jailed for six years over the rape of a 72-year-old US tourist in Praia de Luz.

He also has committed two other known rapes in addition to convictions over theft, drug trafficking, assault and sexual abuse of children.

The Mirror reports that Brueckner is planning to release a memoir which would be published in both German and English.

Friend say he has coasted the book deal could land him a seven figure sum, although other publishing estimates suggest far less.