Updated: 17:02, Sunday October 07, 2007
The parents of Madeleine McCann have called in a man dubbed 'The Locator' to help find their missing daughter.
Gerry and Kate gave South African Danie Krugel a piece of the girl's hair found on her clothing to use in his 'missing person machine'.
The former policeman believes the four-year-old was not transported beyond the area where she went missing on May 3.
He said he rates her chances of being alive as "very slim".
Mr Krugel scoured Praia da Luz, in Portugal, and the surrounding land for clues, he said, using hi-tech equipment he developed himself.
Mr Krugel scoured Praia da Luz, in Portugal, and the surrounding land for clues, he said, using hi-tech equipment he developed himself.
It was reported he had uncovered a "forensic route" from Madeleine's holiday apartment, along paths and roads to a nearby beach where the trail went cold.
Mr Krugel said: "The area is walking distance from Praia da Luz.
"I don't want to say exactly where because I don't want to interfere with this investigation. I don't want to give anyone the chance to destroy their prints.
"If I look at the area, there a very, very slight possibility that she could be alive.
"From the piece of hair I was able to conclude that she was in the area."
It is understood the McCanns called in Mr Krugel after hearing of a series of successes in his homeland, where he has been dubbed The Locator.
The university health and safety director refused to reveal how his hi-tech methods work.
He said he was currently in negotiations with companies to develop the 'matter orientation system machine', which is said to also use satellite technology.
And he was reluctant to talk in detail about his search in Portugal, carried out over four nights in July.
He said: "I don't want to interfere with this investigation. I think that she's still in the area because the possibility that she's alive is very slim.
"I gave an area for them to search to the police and to the McCanns with maps and photographs of the area."
Madeleine, from Rothley, in Leicestershire, went missing from her family's holiday apartment on while her parents dined nearby.
The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry will never rule anything out which may have a degree of credibility behind it.
"Therefore they will try anything if there is a genuine chance of it helping to find Madeleine."