'Last throw of the dice' as 'important' new theory in Madeleine McCann case investigated

Scotland Yard is set to investigate an "important" new lead in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Photo / Supplied

Scotland Yard is set to investigate an "important" new lead in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Extra funding has been allocated to the Met to probe the information, which is said to strengthen the theory that the British girl was kidnapped by a trafficking gang.

Detectives will work on the assumption that Maddie was snatched by a gang of European traffickers after taking photographs of her, the Daily Mail reports.

The new development is said to be the "last throw of the dice" into the investigation of the youngster's disappearance in Portugal in 2007, when she was three years old.

The Sun on Sunday reported that the latest lead has been treated with the utmost importance, with Whitehall officials kept in the loop on its progress.

A source told the newspaper: "This is an important new line of inquiry which could provide an explanation on whether Madeleine was abducted and transported away.

"It raises hope that she could still be alive."

It is understood that current funding for the investigation will enable it to run until April, when it is due to reviewed again.

Madeleine was three years old when she went missing from the holiday apartment at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007.

Portuguese police, working in co-operation with Scotland Yard, reopened the investigation in 2013 amid talk of fresh leads but last year the Metropolitan Police announced it had reduced the number of officers it had working on the case from 29 to four.

Last year, the Government also revealed that the investigation, code-named Operation Grange, had cost more than £10million (NZ$17.8 million).

Forensic investigations into the disappearance were concluded in August after the final scientific tests carried out three months ago "didn't take the police forward".

Met Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe announced in May that the investigation would come to an end after one last line of inquiry was looked into.

At the time, then-Home Secretary Theresa May granted the team £95,000 (NZ$169,302) to keep the investigation going.

Detectives have explored dozens of theories since she vanished, including allegations she was kidnapped by a paedophile gang, killed during a botched burglary or snatched and sold by child traffickers.

But despite 9,000 potential sightings all over Europe and even further afield the police are no closer to solving the mystery.