Mother of missing Sheffield boy Ben Needham vows to continue search, says she feels 'stuck' in 1991

Ben went missing on the Greek island of Kos at the age of 21 months and police believe he died on July 24 1991, as a result of an accident involving “heavy machinery”.

He was staying at his grandparents’ farmhouse on the Greek island when he vanished but Kerry Needham believes her son is still alive.

She told the Daily Mirror: “I still have that hope that South Yorkshire Police are wrong.

“And while there is no evidence to show me, I have to believe he is still alive.

“There’s not a single thread of evidence to say otherwise.”

She added that she feels “stuck” in 1991 and has devoted three decades to the search of her son, adding: “I’ve never had any dreams or goals apart from finding Ben.”

Detectives from South Yorkshire Police carried out a three-week search of Kos in 2016.

Speaking at the time, then Detective Inspector Jon Cousins said: “My team and I know that machinery, including a large digger, was used to clear an area of land on 24 July 1991, behind the farmhouse that was being renovated by the Needhams.

“It is my professional belief that Ben Needham died as a result of an accident near to the farmhouse in Iraklis where he was last seen playing.

“The events leading up to and following that incident have been explored by my team of experts to great lengths. The fact that we have not had a direct result during this visit to Kos does not preclude the facts that we know to be true.”

He said the investigation would not close and new information would be looked at, adding: “We will not stop in our quest to find further answers for Ben’s family.”