British police investigating the disappearance of Ben Needham are heading to Greece to search an area close to where he went missing 21 years ago.

Ben vanished on the island of Kos in July 1991 when he was 21 months old, after his mother and grandparents moved there from Sheffield.

Despite a number of possible sightings and a range of theories about what happened to him, no trace of the youngster has been found.

A team of search experts will begin examining the grounds of the farmhouse from which Ben disappeared tomorrow.

They will then decide whether any areas should be dug up in an effort to find out if he is buried there.

His mother, Kerry Needham, 41, told : “This is an elimination process and that’s how I’m dealing with it.

“It’s one of the most important things to happen in 21 years.”

The search, which is expected to last up to 10 days, follows a request from police in Greece for extra support.

The Daily Mirror said it would centre on a mound of rubble near the family home, which Mrs Needham has previously said she believed was already there when Ben went missing.

South Yorkshire Police, which is leading the operation, said it would also involve a forensic archaeologist and search dogs.

A spokesman for the force said: “During the past 18 months, South Yorkshire Police has reviewed all material held by the Greek police in relation to Ben’s disappearance in order to support the Greek enquiry.

“We have also obtained Ben’s DNA from Sheffield Children’s Hospital.”

 

 

 

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