Police to dig up ground in search for Ben Needham
British police are to send a team of search experts on Friday to the Greek island of Kos in a fresh search for Ben Needham, the 21 month old toddler, who went missing on the holiday island 21 years ago.
Ben disappeared as a toddler from the island, while living with his mother, Kerry Needham, and grandparents who had moved to the holiday island from Sheffield. And despite a number of possible sightings and a range of theories about what happened to him, no trace of the youngster has ever been found.
In May, the Daily Mirror interviewed Kerry Needham and new evidence emerged that has persuaded British police to excavate a mound of rubble at the house, where the family was staying, which Ben may have been accidentally buried under, perhaps in an accident. The Mirror went on to say Police will use 'sonar and 3D equipment to scan the ground and a forensic anthropologist, archaeologist and specially trained dogs as part of the operation.'
Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick from South Yorkshire Police, who has been leading the investigation for twenty years, said: "I'm taking over some search experts with expertise in looking at ground work to establish the possibility that some remains could be there."
Ben Needham's case echoes that of Madeleine McCann, who went missing in 2007, while on holiday with her parents in Portugal. However, Ben's mother is convinced that her son is still alive and has regularly posted images of what he could now look like now, as a 23 year old man, to jog people's memory. Mrs Needham believes that the blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy may have been taken to be sold for adoption or child trafficking.
Written and presented by Ann Salter.