http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news1.shtml
HUNT AT BLACK ROCK
By Carole Aye Maung and Ross Hall
POLICE hunting for missing Maddie McCann have dramatically widened their search to an extinct VOLCANO, the News of the World can exclusively reveal.
Teams of officers with sniffer dogs are scouring what one called a "sinister" area called Black Rock near sea cliffs just over a mile from the resort where the youngster was snatched on Thursday.
The search was redirected as the detective leading the hunt said his team had a good idea who the kidnapper was and that he believes Maddie may still be ALIVE.
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A source close to the Portuguese investigation also told the
News of the World that the abductor is believed to have spent days watching Maddie and staking out the McCann family's apartment at the Ocean Club resort in the seaside village of Praia da Luz.
Maddie's mother Kate McCann has made an impassioned plea to the person holding the tot - begging them to let her go.
Clutching a picture of her missing daughter she said:We would like to say a few words to the person who is with our Madeleine, or has been with Madeleine.
Madeleine is a beautiful, bright, sunny and caring little girl. She is so special.
Please, please, do not hurt her. Please do not scare her, please let us know where to find Madeleine or put her in place of safety and tell somebody where.
We beg you to let Madeleine come home.We need our Madeleine.
Sean and Amelie need Madeleine and she needs us. Please give our little girl back. Por favor, devolva a nossa menina.
Meanwhile more than 500 British tourists, expats and locals have joined in the ongoing search for the blonde youngster along a six-mile stretch of the coastline.
The search has now shifted to Rocha Negra a remote area feared by the local community and an ideal hideout.
Furriel Louis Costa, one of the policemen involved in the search, told us: "You would call it Black Rock. It is a very scary and chilling place. The local Portuguese people do not like to go up there. They are too frightened.
Captive
"It is very big and extends high up above the sea which makes it seem very threatening. You can go up there. But no one ever does. It's not a nice place. It is sinister."
He spoke as hopes rose that Maddie might be alive and held captive following a statement earlier in the day from the head of the investigation, Director of the Judicial Police Guilhermino Encarnacao who hinted that they KNOW the kidnapper's identity. He said: "There is a prime suspect and we have a portrait sketch of the suspect. But I am not going to reveal it because it may put the girl's life in danger. We believe that she is still alive and still in Portugal."
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