Paedo ‘Plied Kids With Free Sweets'

Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Bruckner allegedly showered school pupils with cuddly toys and sweets as they walked past a shop he ran.

- Patrick Hill

Former primary school caretaker Peter Erdmann, 64, told the Sunday People that police should investigate whether Bruckner was grooming children from his store, 300 yards from a school in Braunschweig.

And another witness claimed the convicted rapist beat his girlfriend and left his two dogs to starve to death when he left to return to Portugal.

Mr Erdmann said: “He was mainly giving the presents to boys aged seven to ten, but also some girls.

“He was giving them presents nearly every day and it went on for a couple of years.

“I asked him if he gave gifts to the kids and he told me he had a little box full of such gifts in the kiosk.

“At the time I thought nothing of it and just thought he was a friendly man. I used to go into the kiosk and he’d give me free shots of Jagermeister.