French police have arrested a man in connection with the disappearance of a nine-year-old girl during a family wedding in the Alps at the weekend, a source close to the probe told AFP on Thursday.

Maelys de Araujo was last seen at 3:00 am (0100 GMT) on Sunday in the village of Pont-de-Beauvoisin, about 50 kilometres north of Grenoble.

Scores of local police, search and rescue teams, divers and cavers are searching the heavily-wooded area for signs of her.

The man arrested was "near the wedding venue" when she disappeared, the source said. His account of his whereabouts that night contained inconsistencies, the source added.

Police have interviewed many of the 250 guests at the wedding, with partygoers from two other events in the area also being questioned.

Sniffer dogs lost the scent from Maelys's cuddly toy in a car park outside the venue, raising fears she was kidnapped and whisked away by car.

Source: AFP