Police: Are you Ben Needham?
Plea as mum returns to island where son vanished
THE mother of missing Ben Needham yesterday pleaded for help to find her son as she returned to the Greek isle where he vanished 25 years ago.
Kerry Needham spoke as British detectives called on anyone who thinks they might be Ben to get in touch. He would now be aged 26 and may have no idea of his real identity.
Revisiting the farmhouse on Kos where her son was last seen, Kerry Needham, 43, said: “The ground did not open up and swallow Ben.
“He was physically taken away from the area by persons unknown.”
Ben was 21 months old when he disappeared in July 1991. He was with his grandmother and grandfather, who were renovating the property.
Kerry, from Sheffield, was working in a local hotel at the time. She returned to the island with 10 South Yorkshire Police detectives yesterday.
She has never given up hope that she will be reunited with Ben, adding: “He deserves to know the truth and so do we.”
Detective Inspector John Cousins, in charge of the UK team, said: “Did you have blond hair and blue eyes as a child? Are you unsure of your background? We have Ben’s DNA and it will be very easy for us to do a quick test and confirm or otherwise.” Kerry insisted: “The answer lies on Kos. Someone on the island knows what happened to him. I’m just thankful the Greek and British police are now working together.
“There are no words to describe how much this means to me.”
Mr Cousins said officers were looking into anonymous calls to the UK’s Missing Persons Bureau in 1993.
A Greek caller said Ben was then known as Andreas and was being cared for by a man called Nikos. A Crimestoppers reward of £10,000 for information has been issued.