BRIT cops are re-examining a theory that Madeleine McCann left her family’s holiday apartment to look for her parents.

The latest revelation comes amid reports that Scotland Yard has told Kate and Gerry McCann they are pursuing two vital new leads.

The Sun on Sunday can reveal one of these revolves around three-year-old Madeleine waking up and wandering out of the villa in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Detectives from Operation Grange — the Met Police’s probe into her 2007 disappearance — discussed the theory recently with Portuguese police.

Cops there had previously explored whether Madeleine was searching for her parents, who were at a nearby tapas bar.

She may have been knocked down by a drink driver, they speculated, who put her body in the car and later buried it.

Meanwhile Scotland Yard officers looked at whether it was a kidnapping or burglary gone wrong.

A source in Portugal said: “A meeting took place recently at the HQ of the General Attorney’s Office, which was attended by the prosecutor from Portimao who is in charge of the Portuguese inquiry.

“One of the lines of investigation that continues to be pursued is that Maddie could have walked out of the holiday flat herself.”

The Met Police refused to comment.

So far £11.6million has been spent on the search, with a further £150,000 released by the Home Office last week.