Missing Ben Needham: New Search In Greece

British police investigating the disappearance of Ben Needham are to search a mound of earth close to where he went missing in Greece 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 experts will begin examining the grounds of the farmhouse from which Ben disappeared tomorrow, before deciding whether any areas should be dug up.

The search, which is expected to last up to 10 days, will centre on a large mound near the house which is now grassed over.

One theory is that Ben could have been buried beneath building material which was dumped there at the time he went missing.

His mother, Kerry Needham, 41, told the Daily Mirror: "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."

Mrs Needham has previously said she believes the mound was already there when Ben went missing.

Angela Smith, the MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, told BBC Radio Sheffield: "Hopefully they won't find Ben in that rubble and it closes down another line of inquiry and narrows down the possibilities.

"I know that she [Mrs Needham] will be very keen for this work to be undertaken and rock solid confident, I'm sure, that they won't find Ben there."

South Yorkshire Police, which is leading the operation, said the search, which follows a request from Greek police for extra support, 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."