Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner is reportedly being denied day release from jail because prison guards refuse to be seen with him in public. Brueckner is serving a seven-year sentence after he was convicted of raping a woman in 2005 in the same part of Portugal from where Madeleine went missing in May 2007.

He is set to be released from prison in Germany in September. Inmates who are approaching the end of their sentences in the country are entitled to trips outside to help them reintegrate into society. But a source close to Brueckner has told the Mirror prison staff don't want to be seen with him. They explained: "It is usual in Germany for prisoners coming up for release to be allowed out for a day or even a weekend. 

"In Brueckner’s case, it would be with a couple of officers present rather than just one. They would normally take him shopping and things like that. But they won’t be doing it – prison staff don’t want to be seen with him. There is a good chance he’d be recognised by people and they would be associated with him as a result.

"Guards can’t stand him because of the crimes he committed, not to mention his supposed involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance."

Brueckner was living near Praia da Luz, where Madeleine was on holiday with her famil when she went missing from a holiday apartment aged three.

He was officially identified as a suspect in 2022, but has denied any involvement. Prosecutors in Germany said in March that there are no plans to make any charges in relation to Madeleine's case.

Braunschweig Chief Public Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told The Independent late last month: "There are currently no plans to file charges in the Maddie case.

"We are currently awaiting the decision of the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe regarding the cases heard last year. However, that will certainly take a few more months."

Mr Wolters said previously that there was no prospect of filing charges against Brueckner in Madeleine's case because the prosecutor’s office was still searching for forensic evidence to link him to the disappearance.

Police first revealed in June 2020 that a German prisoner - named by German media as Christian B - was a suspect.

Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann thanked police, saying: "All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice. We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive, but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace."

Investigators in Germany have said they believe Madeleine is dead, but Scotland Yard treats the case as a missing persons enquiry.

The Met’s involvement is known as Operation Grange. It has been led by the Specialist Crime Command unit and involved a review of investigations into the circumstances around Madeleine's disappearance.

In July 2013, the status of the Met’s enquiries changed to an investigation, with officers working with the Portuguese authorities on lines of enquiry.