Mother blasts police on missing Ben's 21st birthday

Kerry Needham, 38, called on British holidaymakers not to give up on Ben, who disappeared without trace in 1991, and said: “They’re my only hope now because the Greek police simply don’t care about the case, and aren’t bothered about my son any more.”

Kerry won’t be celebrating Ben’s coming of age in the usual way later this month. But she still intends to mark the occasion with a gathering of close relatives at the family home in Sheffield.

She said: “We won’t be having a party or anything like that because there’s nothing to celebrate... but Ben’s 21st only comes round once so I’ll be putting up his cards and lighting candles just like any mum does when her son comes of age.

“Ben won’t be here, of course, but it’s a milestone in his life after all, and I’ll mark the occasion knowing in my heart that he’s still alive somewhere in the world and that he’ll come home one day.”

Ben was seized within moments of him going to play outside a farmhouse, which his granddad was renovating in the village of Iraklise.

Investigators suspect the blond-haired tot was abducted by a gypsy gang, and sold for adoption. But a police inquiry – which was heavily criticised by Ben’s family – failed to track down the culprits.

Kerry last visited the popular tourist island in 2008 – but has no intention of going back after being rebuffed by authorities.

She praised British tourists saying: “We’d have been on our own if it hadn’t been for British holidaymakers coming back with possible sightings. We don’t get as many reports as we used to at the beginning, but lots of people still come home with photographs and get in touch with the police even now.”