New Madeleine McCann sighting in India

An age-enhanced image of what Madeleine McCann - might look as a six-year-old. Photo / supplied

The parents of Madeleine McCann have ruled out the possibility of a sighting in India, despite local police deciding it was worth taking a DNA sample from the child.

McCann went missing as a three-year-old from her hotel room in Portugal in 2007 while her parents were dining at a nearby restaurant.

Her body was never found, and while Portuguese police abandoned their inquiry in July 2008, the McCanns continued to look for her using private detectives.

There have been sightings of Madeleine around the world - even in Dunedin, New Zealand.

The Daily Mail reports the latest sighting was made in India's northern city of Leh, near the Himalayas.

Nine MSN reports a couple holidaying in India had their passports removed after a British tourist took a photo of the girl in the market and contacted local and British police.

But Kate and Gerry McCann say the girl is not their daughter.

The Daily Mail reports the family's spokesman Clarence Mitchell as saying the couple were 'certain' the girl was not Madeleine, who would now be eight-years-old.

The girl's parents, a French woman and her Belgian husband, insist the six-year-old is their biological child.

But police have sought fit to take a DNA sample from the girl and are awaiting results to confirm their claim.

- Herald Online staff