A German child murderer is reportedly being investigated by UK police as one of the suspects in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.

48-year-old Martin Ney is currently serving a life sentence for three separate murders of three boys in the 1990s and early 2000s, while they were on holiday with their families.

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He was dubbed the ‘Masked Man’ after he reportedly targeted his victims while wearing a mask.

He is said to resemble a photofit of a man who was seen with a child in his arms shortly after Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in Portugal.

A family spokesperson, Clarence Mitchell, told the MailOnline: ‘It might be him and he fits the profile, he is a known predatory paedophile and he’s a foreigner.

He told the publication: ‘It is quite possible and plausible police are looking at him again but it could be someone else. There is a degree of credibility it is Ney but we cannot speculate.

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‘Ney has been previously interviewed by detectives over Madeleine’s abduction, and denied it. He is in a German jail now.’

Adding: ‘Kate and Gerry are not in a position to comment on this, nor would they because it is operational detail and they will not discuss it.

The high profile case is known around the world after three-year-old Maddie went missing from her holiday apartment.

According to the Mirror, Ney was working for an evangelical church on a project for the homeless in Portugal at the time of her disappearance.

Police investigating Madeleine’s disappearance are now linking new evidence to Ney. And it’s feared that he could have been part of a paedophile ring operating on the Algarve around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.

Portuguese police officer Goncalo Amaral said that a German national who is in prison was being investigated as part of the probe, but did not name the suspect.

Amaral previously told Australian TV that British police had ‘one investigation line’ and were ignoring other possibilities.

Ney was reportedly previously ruled out in 2011 as Berlin police said that he was only interested in boys.

Ney is currently being held in a German prison for the killings of Stefan Jahrd, 13, in 1992, Dennis Rostel, eight, in 1995, and Dennis Kleinfrom, nine, in 2001.

He was convicted of the murders in 2012.