Maddie suspect's 'child kidnap plot'

Paedo tried to rope in friend week before Brit girl vanished, says expat

- MARTIN FRICKER

THE chief suspect in Madeleine McCann's disappearance hatched a plan to kidnap a child in Portugal a week before the British girl went missing, it is claimed.

Christian Brueckner tried to recruit a pal to help him find a youngster to sell to a childless German couple, a British expat says. Ken Ralphs said the paedophile wanted to target a rich family in Praia da Luz - the resort where Madeleine was snatched from in May 2007.

Mr Ralphs, Brueckner and the friend were part of a nomadic community living in off-grid spots in the Algarve in 2007.

Mr Ralphs told how his pal began to cry at a late night campfire chat before making his confession.