A TEAM of private detectives reported to be searching for missing Madeleine McCann are said to be convinced she was kidnapped to order by a gang of paedophiles and smuggled to Morocco.

The revelations by the News of the World, claim the Spanish Metodo 3 detective agency hired by Kate and Gerry believes Madeleine was snatched after a tip-off by an insider at their Portuguese holiday complex.

An insider said: "It's distressing but gives us all hope Maddie's still alive."

Reports suggest the private eye team believe she was abducted to order from the McCanns' family apartment and taken away.

The detective agency has reportedly never failed to find a missing person which could give hope to distraught parents Kate and Gerry.

The Barcelona-based detectives are said to be creating a 'hitlist' of Portuguese paedophiles known to prey on girls of Madeleine's age.

They will then send their agents to track the movements of prime suspects before and after the day Maddie disappeared.

The Sun's sister paper claims private investigators now think the kidnapper monitored the McCanns' movements for days before taking Madeleine in a "tight eight-minute window of opportunity".

Detectives are also understood to believe that Madeleine was passed to a Moroccan paedophile network and sold on to other pervert gangs.

A source close to the inquiry said: "Obviously talk of Madeleine being bartered around these evil people is extremely upsetting for the McCanns.

"But for the first time a credible theory of what happened is being worked on by one of Europe's leading investigation agencies. And it gives them hope she is still alive.

"This is a significant development based on information from experts with access to a huge amount of data."

A special hotline and email appeal was launched by Metodo 3 last week following Kate and Gerry's emotional interview on Spanish TV.

In three days the agency is reported to have received 400 calls.

Metodo 3 managing director Francisco Marco, 35, told the News of the World: "I'm certain Madeleine was kidnapped. And I'm also sure her parents had nothing to do with her disappearance.

"My own view is the most likely place to find her is Morocco. We're working very hard on all information indicating that. But I stress that we are following up everything."