Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner has relocated to a flat mere yards from a primary school in his hometown, according to reports.

Residents in Braunschweig, Germany, claim they are "all afraid" following Brueckner's arrival. The 49 year old convicted paedophile and rapist now lives in proximity to three primary schools and three nurseries in total, including the school situated just yards from his two-bedroom residence.

"We were surprised to see two plainclothes police officers always waiting in front of the house. Then someone saw him leave the house and recognised him straight away," one local revealed.

"Everyone here in Braunschweig knows him. I know neighbours who no longer send their children to the supermarket. We're all afraid. There are three daycare centres and three elementary schools right nearby. Why is someone like that allowed to settle here?"

Brueckner's second-floor flat in an older building is believed to be owned by a longtime acquaintance. Police maintain a constant presence around the property.

Two officers remain stationed in a vehicle behind the house throughout the day and night, according to The Sun.

Prior to his latest prison stint, Brueckner operated a kiosk in the same area. Nevertheless, he has needed round-the-clock police monitoring since his release from custody last September, when his sentence for the 2005 rape of a 72 year old woman concluded.

Brueckner has found it difficult to integrate into various communities across northern Germany, with locals repeatedly demanding his removal. Within days of his release last year, reports emerged that he had claimed to staff in a mobile phone shop that he held evidence to "solve the scandal of the century" - an apparent allusion to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Three year old Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, disappeared whilst on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007. In 2020, German authorities identified Christian Brueckner as the principal suspect in her disappearance and suspected murder.

Officers stated his mobile telephone had connected to a mast in the vicinity on the night Madeleine went missing. Investigators maintain they possess physical evidence suggesting she is dead, though they have not revealed any forensic evidence directly connecting Brueckner to the case.

A separate investigation by The Sun, subsequently broadcast as a documentary on Channel 4, reported that police hold image files which contributed to their belief that Madeleine is dead.

They also confiscated child abduction stories by Brueckner where he daydreams about snatching and abusing young girls – including one outside a kindergarten.