‘Mystery’ Maddie lookalike spotting solved

KARSTEN MAYER, the man whose name appeared in newspapers around the world in connection with missing Madeleine McCann has come forward to prove the ‘lookalike’ girl was in fact his own daughter.

CID officers in Bern say that he has already “all but” been ruled out of enquiries.

The 41-year-old Swiss father-of-three confirmed he had been at the Cabopino campsite, but that the blond girl mistaken for Maddie was his own daughter who was the same age.

His name came to light after British mother-of-two Karen Sissons, 49, followed up on a report she had given police on a possible sighting of Madeleine at Cabopino Camping on the Costa del Sol three days after she disappeared.

However, it seems officials never followed up on her tip.

The mystery girl was with a family with two other curly-haired children, was wearing a pink T-shirt, shorts and a beige hat and seemed “out of it” according to Sisson, who lives in Gibraltar.

“She seemed alienated and completely different to her family.

It really was most peculiar.” Sisson’s suspicions grew when she saw the girl wearing the same outfit the following day.

Madeleine McCann went missing on May 3, 2007 from Praia de Luz in Portugal, a few hours drive from the Cabopino campsite.

The family paid extra after arriving at the campsite with one more child than expected on May 6, The Sun reported.

The campsite’s records show the family stayed two weeks and checked in under the name Karsten Mayer with gave 1970 as the year of birth.

While their car was a Mercedes Vito people carrier first manufactured in 1996, it had a BE German number plate, which has not been used since 1974. In response to these Sisson’s comments, Mr Mayers said: “It is quite possible that my daughter appeared distant.

She was tired after a very long road trip. We spent 12 days at the camping ground we journeyed further around Portugal.

I do not think a kidnapper would have done that. I find these media reports about me unbelievable and am reporting to police immediately before I am arrested!”

Meanwhile, this was the second ‘sighting’ of Maddie in less than a month.

In April someone claimed to having seen a girl in Nerja bearing a strong physical resemblance to Madeleine.

This sighting came after a photo of how Madeline might look now, aged nine, was released last month.

Meanwhile, 30 children under age 18 have gone missing in Portugal since Madeleine disappeared, according to official figures.