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Former Portuguese police chief claims Maddie's body was dumped at sea in new novel set to anger McCanns

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Paulo Cristovao's novel 'The Star of Madeleine' claims the girl's body was dumped at sea

Paulo Cristovao's two fictional police officers bring the 180-page book to a close by staring out at the Atlantic Ocean after a massive land search.

The police pair - inspired by real life Madeleine McCann investigators - also face British diplomatic pressure as they try to unravel the mystery.

Cristovao, a former Policia Judiciaria inspector who is facing trial over accusations he tortured a woman into falsely confessing to murdering her child, has admitted his new book is "pro-Portugal" and likely to upset Gerry and Kate McCann.

He provoked the couple's anger last year by insisting they should have been arrested for leaving their children alone in their holiday apartment the night Madeleine disappeared.

And he has made it clear in a regular column for a Portuguese newspaper he considers the McCanns are probably responsible for Madeleine's death or disappearance.

His new book, titled "The Star of Madeleine", is sure to put the former police chief on another collision course with the couple.

They deny any involvement in their daughter's disappearance and insist they believe she is still alive.

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Speaking ahead of the book going on sale today, he said: "I would really like to believe there will be a complete clarification of all the facts, but I fear the maintenance of a missing child on the PJ's website.

"I am sure Madeleine's parents will not like the book."

Stopping short of directly accusing Gerry and Kate of foul play, he added in a thinly-disguised attack on the pair: "In their shoes, I'd behave in exactly the same way as they did during the investigation.

"I would defend myself with all the weapons that I could use.

"The difference in this world is that some have more weapons than others."

A spokeswoman for the Find Madeleine campaign said the family was aware of the novel and was disappointed at the latest attempt to make money from Madeleine's disappearance.

She said: "We continue to think it is a shame that people want to make profit out of the situation when the search for Madeleine is ongoing and we are still trying to raise funds for the campaign."

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Cristovao will stand trial along with four other officers later this year in another missing child case.

He is charged with attacking Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter Joana vanished from her home in 2004, and torturing her into falsely confessing to her murder.

Chief Inspector Goncalo Amaral, who was removed as head of the Madeleine McCann investigation last year after criticising British police counterparts, will also stand trial accused of covering up the alleged torture.

Joana disappeared from her home in Figueira, seven miles from Praia da Luz where Madeleine was abducted last May.

Cipriano was later jailed along with her brother Joao, even though Joana's body was never found.

Cristovao, who took early retirement from the Policia Judiciaria, has also written a book on the case with a similar title to his latest novel - "The Star of Joana".