A 34-year old man has been charged and remanded in custody over the disappearance of a nine-year-old girl during a wedding in the Alps, say prosecutors.

Maelys de Araujo was last seen in the early hours of Sunday August 27 at a community hall where the wedding was held in Pont-de-Beauvoisin, a village some 30 miles north of Grenoble.

The suspect has told investigators that she "got into his car", his lawyer told AFP, but denies abducting her.

The vehicle had previously caught the attention of investigators, as the owner had washed it after the wedding, he said in order to sell it.