New McCann video ‘aimed at relative’ of kidnapper

British police have released two new images of Madeleine McCann, including one that shows how the missing six-year-old might look with suntanned skin and dark hair, if she is being held captive in southern Europe, Africa or the Middle East. Another image shows Madeleine as pale and blonde.

The images are part of a viral video released last night by the Home Office's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and aimed at the friends, family and associates of anyone who might have abducted her. The message, entitled 'One Minute for Madeleine', tells those who may know something about the missing girl that "it is never too late to do the right thing".

CEOP's hope is that Madeleine, who went missing just days before her fourth birthday in May 2007, could still be rescued or reappear - just as Jaycee Lee Dugard in California and Natascha Kampusch in Austria were found after years in captivity. It wants the video to become so widely posted on blogs, social networking sites and Twitter that it becomes the top item when internet users search for "Madeleine".

Jim Gamble, the head of CEOP who has studied 11 child abduction cases in which the victims reappeared after years of incarceration, said the message was "about collective hope". He also stressed that the video, which was prepared with the help of psychologists, is not a public appeal but aimed at one individual. "The person we are looking to reach is likely to be a partner, family member, friend or colleague of the person or people who were involved in Madeleine's disappearance."

The online video has been produced in seven languages including English, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German and Italian. Madeleine's mother Kate McCann will take part in a series of television interviews today to promote the message.