Force says end results of Kos dig `essential` to solving Ben Needham mystery
The mother of missing toddler Ben Needham heaped praise on “hero” officers after their latest search on the island of Kos formally ended.
Oct 17, 2016
By Nick Hudson
The mother of missing toddler Ben Needham heaped praise on “hero” officers after their latest search on the island of Kos formally ended.
South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and Greek volunteers have spent three weeks on a dig near an old farmhouse in a bid to discover what happened to Ben, who disappeared in July 1991.
Detectives reignited their investigation after it emerged that Ben could have been killed by digger driver Konstantinos Barkas, who died of cancer last year.
A number of items found during the search will now be sent back to Britain for analysis as officers have warned Ben`s mother, Kerry Needham, to prepare for the worst.
The SYP officers believe they can now “give an answer, whatever that might be” to the Needham family.
Ben`s mother Kerry Needham, issuing a “huge thank you” to those involved in the search, admitted that she agrees with the police inquiry team`s theory that her 21-month-old son was crushed by a digger on Kos 25 years ago and his body buried.
And she hit back at claims the SYP investigation on the Greek island was flawed.
The 43-year-old mother, in singling out inquiry team leader Detective Inspector Jon Cousins, said: He will never give up in his hunt for the truth in the years he has remaining as a detective.
“Well never ever forget him and all the volunteers who have helped,” she told the Sunday Mirror.
Dont anyone dare criticise them. I never want to hear a bad word spoken about these detectives.
“They need medals for what theyve had to do not criticism.
Through the Help Find Ben Needham Facebook page, she wrote: “Please everyone remember the items found will now be analysed, so although there may seem to be no answers as yet hopefully we should have news on what exactly was found soon.
“This search wasnt done on a whim after just one witness statement.
“The Operation Ben team were already following this line of enquiry after going through 25 years of information and witness statements.
“The new witness statement just corroborated the info SYP already had and was a targeted search not a wild goose chase.
“The police and the Hellenic Search and Rescue team have our utmost respect and cant really thank them enough.”
The investigating team has been working on an `accidental death` theory after a witness came forward to claim digger driver Mr Barkas might have killed Ben with his excavator in a building site crash.
The witness emerged after SYP put out an appeal on Greek TV, and pointed out the site where he thought Ben may have been buried.
Since the search began at the end of September, further witnesses have backed up the SYP theory.
Mrs Needham said of the UK force team: They know enough to know what happened.
“A detective inspector on his hands and knees in full black uniform digging in the dirt just to find us the truth? What more can you ask for and what more can you say.”
Det Insp Cousins said: Ive reviewed, in great detail, every piece of evidence made available to me by the Greek authorities, who are very supportive of the work were doing in assisting their investigation.
“As a result of the work conducted over the last 18 months I have no doubt this phase of the operation is absolutely essential in order to get answers for Bens family.
Formally ending the search, he added: “Ive got the confidence that we have done exactly what we can, given the plan