Greece BEN NEEDHAM: Missing from Kos, Greece - 24 July 1991 - Age 21 months

Toddler, Ben Needham, went missing on the Greek island of Kos. His mother Kerry, from Sheffield, has always maintained he was abducted.


Media - http://crimewatchers.net/index.php?...s-greece-since-24-july-1991-age-21-months.91/

 

[Akoya]

This website also has Kerry Needham's email address: BenKerryNeedham@yahoo.com which is on Ben's Flyer.

Sandy lane hotel

Andonis Bedzios

Veria


Compared to the lane up to the farmhouse, it was as smooth as a billiard table but by England’s standards it was still little more than a narrow, winding country road. I’d only been along it in darkness but I couldn’t remember any houselights for a couple of miles. There wasn’t anything until you reached the village and Sissy’s shop.

Needham, Kerry. Ben (Kindle Locations 1403-1406). Ebury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

 

[Akoya]

I remember during our visit in Kos in 2003, when Christos Bafounis, responding to a question from Mariana Faithful -our representative in Greece-, as to the identity of the owner of the white car seen parked near the farmhouse, on the day that Ben was abducted, told us that the car belonged to Xanthippe Agrelli.
Speaking in English, he went on to say that this woman had been our friend.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Agrelli had never been our friend.
After this conversation at the police station, we went straight to Agrelli's shop and we played back the recording with Bafounis's own words, she became furious, screaming and yelling she told us that in July 1991, she did not have her white car -at the time the Greek government was giving monetary incentives when people turned in their old cars-, as she wanted to buy a new one.
Mariana challenged Agrelli for the documents.
She did not have them.
Mariana challenged her again and Agrelli agreed to come with us to the department of Motor Transport.
Finally, the official documents showed that Agrelli, had applied to the department in October 1991 and her application for the monetary benefit, was approved in November.
Our questions remain unanswered, why did Agrelli lied about her white car?
Nothing has ever been investigated regarding the Agrelli car and why she has lied about it.
What was her car doing there in this heat, on July 24?
Who else was in the car?
Witnesses accounts told the police there were 2 men in the car.
The Greek authorities hushed this incident up, like they have done with every other matter, that we have confronted them with.
Not a single official, has ever said "sorry" to us.
The worst thing though is that they don't give a damn as to what has happened to Ben.

http://benneedham18.blogspot.com/2007/1 ... tmare.html

 

[Akoya]

The British Sunday Times reported that Virpi Maria Hunnele was raped and killed on that same Iraklis hillside, no more than 400 yards from the farmhouse. This location is 400 yards further up the hillside.

 

[Akoya]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/be ... ed-8852823

Ben Needham's mum has been warned her missing son could be discovered in fragments

21:55, 16 SEP 2016

Kerry Needham says she just hopes her beloved boy didn't suffer if he was crushed under the wheels of a giant digger

Kerry Needham has been warned the body of her missing son Ben could be discovered in fragments.

And the distraught mum, 43, is terrified by the thought he suffered a painful death.

Police fear the toddler was crushed by the giant wheels of a digger. As she waited for detectives to dig for Ben, Kerry said her “worst nightmare is coming”.

She added: “They’ve told me they may not be looking for a complete skeleton.

“I felt sick. This wasn’t happening to me. It wasn’t like it was real life. It was, and still is, an unimaginable horror.

“The fact that he is dead [would] destroy me, but if it was a painful and horrible death that would crucify me even more.”

Officers from South Yorkshire Police will be joined by a bone expert as they follow up a lead from a new witness following an appeal on Greek television earlier this year.

In a further heartbreaking twist, it has emerged they will be looking for a little silver buckle from Ben ’s brown sandals.

They are the same shoes he was pictured wearing as he posed on his uncle Stephen’s moped, just weeks before he vanished.

Devastated Kerry fears she may not survive the latest sickening turn in the 25-year search for her missing child.

Ben vanished on July 24, 1991, outside a farmhouse on the Greek island of Kos as he was being cared for by his grandparents.

We exclusively revealed how British officers fear he may have been the victim of an accident involving a digger driver who was moving earth nearby.

Kerry said: “They think he could have been crushed under the giant tread of the digger.

Kerry Needham says she hopes her son didn't suffer
"They say they have found that machine and sat in it. They said it was huge and you can’t see on the ground.”

The new witness claimed Konstantinos “Dino” Barkas told him that he may have had an accident involving Ben.

The Greek national said Dino, who died last April, was digging in one spot and dumping his rubble in another.

Kerry said: “According to the witness he’d seen Ben that day, running around with just a T-shirt on.



Kerry Needham has been warned the body of her missing son Ben could be discovered in fragments.

And the distraught mum, 43, is terrified by the thought he suffered a painful death.

Police fear the toddler was crushed by the giant wheels of a digger. As she waited for detectives to dig for Ben, Kerry said her “worst nightmare is coming”.

She added: “They’ve told me they may not be looking for a complete skeleton.

“I felt sick. This wasn’t happening to me. It wasn’t like it was real life. It was, and still is, an unimaginable horror.

READ MORE
Digger driver at centre of Ben Needham police probe was successful businessman who 'knew everyone on the island'
Andy Stenning/Daily MirrorKerry Needham and her mother ChristineKerry Needham and her mother Christine
“The fact that he is dead [would] destroy me, but if it was a painful and horrible death that would crucify me even more.”

Officers from South Yorkshire Police will be joined by a bone expert as they follow up a lead from a new witness following an appeal on Greek television earlier this year.

In a further heartbreaking twist, it has emerged they will be looking for a little silver buckle from Ben ’s brown sandals.

They are the same shoes he was pictured wearing as he posed on his uncle Stephen’s moped, just weeks before he vanished.


Ben vanished on July 24, 1991, outside a farmhouse on the Greek island of Kos as he was being cared for by his grandparents.

We exclusively revealed how British officers fear he may have been the victim of an accident involving a digger driver who was moving earth nearby.

Kerry said: “They think he could have been crushed under the giant tread of the digger.

Adam Gerrard/Daily MirrorKerry NeedhamKerry Needham says she hopes her son didn't suffer
"They say they have found that machine and sat in it. They said it was huge and you can’t see on the ground.”

The new witness claimed Konstantinos “Dino” Barkas told him that he may have had an accident involving Ben.

The Greek national said Dino, who died last April, was digging in one spot and dumping his rubble in another.

Kerry said: “According to the witness he’d seen Ben that day, running around with just a T-shirt on.

Phil Harris/Daily MirrorDetective inspector Jon Cousins and Detective Superintendent Matt FenwickDetective inspector Jon Cousins and Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick
“Apparently he thought to himself, ‘that’s dangerous’ – but he didn’t think to alert the digger driver or my mum and dad?”

It is believed the witness has shown police two areas of land which were not searched in 2012.

Now, Kerry is bracing herself as police prepare to search new locations for her 21-month-old son.

She said: “My worst feeling as a mother is thinking your child suffered or is suffering.

"If this is true, I pray it was instant and that he wasn’t buried alive and hurting.

“Last time I was happy they were doing the dig because we were 100% sure there hadn’t been an accident and we were finally proving to the Greek police he’d been abducted.

“But this time I think I’ve got to believe it. Something feels different. The police are different. I think he’s dead.”

Breaking down in tears, she added: “Now I’m thinking, if there was an accident was he buried alive? Did he bleed to death? Was he suffering? Was he hurting and calling for his mummy?”

Kerry pauses to fight the waves of nausea she has been feeling since police told her they wanted to dig in Kos again.

She continued: “I have to stop myself thinking. The police said they don’t want me to go through those different scenarios, but how can you not?”

She also fears for how she and her family will cope if little Ben’s body is found.

 

[Akoya]

Continued

Kerry said: “My stomach is churning all the time and we have so long to wait.

"My mother’s instinct has told me Ben is alive and well all these years. How can you rely on mother’s instinct now?

“This is all I’ve known since being a teenager. My life has been looking for Ben. What do I do now? I feel lost.

“Will I survive it? All these things are going round and round in my head. What will it do to my mum and dad?”

Recalling the day her son disappeared, she went on: “My last memories of Ben is taking him to my mum’s caravan that morning before I went to work. He was playing inside the caravan.

“He was being a typical toddler, running around, preferring to go outside to play.

“He was happy. Ben was very mischievous, always wanted to be the centre of attention and always wanted to make people laugh.

“But he was a bugger for running off. There was no fear of anything at all.”

Later, her mum Christine took Ben to see his grandfather Eddie at the farmhouse they were renovating.

In the middle of the afternoon, Ben vanished as he played outside. Kerry spoke of her terror as the search went on that night.

She said: “I was scared for him and frantic because it was dark. Not knowing what had happened. We thought he was lost and hiding somewhere.

“The last 25 years is like living a nightmare you can’t wake up from, and a rollercoaster ride you can’t get off.

Kerry Needham says she just hopes her beloved boy didn't suffer if he was crushed under the wheels of a giant digger


Kerry Needham has been warned the body of her missing son Ben could be discovered in fragments.

And the distraught mum, 43, is terrified by the thought he suffered a painful death.

Police fear the toddler was crushed by the giant wheels of a digger. As she waited for detectives to dig for Ben, Kerry said her “worst nightmare is coming”.

She added: “They’ve told me they may not be looking for a complete skeleton.

“I felt sick. This wasn’t happening to me. It wasn’t like it was real life. It was, and still is, an unimaginable horror.


“The fact that he is dead [would] destroy me, but if it was a painful and horrible death that would crucify me even more.”

Officers from South Yorkshire Police will be joined by a bone expert as they follow up a lead from a new witness following an appeal on Greek television earlier this year.

In a further heartbreaking twist, it has emerged they will be looking for a little silver buckle from Ben ’s brown sandals.

They are the same shoes he was pictured wearing as he posed on his uncle Stephen’s moped, just weeks before he vanished.


Ben vanished on July 24, 1991, outside a farmhouse on the Greek island of Kos as he was being cared for by his grandparents.

We exclusively revealed how British officers fear he may have been the victim of an accident involving a digger driver who was moving earth nearby.

Kerry said: “They think he could have been crushed under the giant tread of the digger.

Adam Gerrard/Daily MirrorKerry NeedhamKerry Needham says she hopes her son didn't suffer
"They say they have found that machine and sat in it. They said it was huge and you can’t see on the ground.”

The new witness claimed Konstantinos “Dino” Barkas told him that he may have had an accident involving Ben.

The Greek national said Dino, who died last April, was digging in one spot and dumping his rubble in another.

Kerry said: “According to the witness he’d seen Ben that day, running around with just a T-shirt on.

Phil Harris/Daily MirrorDetective inspector Jon Cousins and Detective Superintendent Matt FenwickDetective inspector Jon Cousins and Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick
“Apparently he thought to himself, ‘that’s dangerous’ – but he didn’t think to alert the digger driver or my mum and dad?”

It is believed the witness has shown police two areas of land which were not searched in 2012.

Now, Kerry is bracing herself as police prepare to search new locations for her 21-month-old son.

She said: “My worst feeling as a mother is thinking your child suffered or is suffering.

"If this is true, I pray it was instant and that he wasn’t buried alive and hurting.

Daily MirrorBen NeedhamBen Needham has been missing for 25 years
“Last time I was happy they were doing the dig because we were 100% sure there hadn’t been an accident and we were finally proving to the Greek police he’d been abducted.

“But this time I think I’ve got to believe it. Something feels different. The police are different. I think he’s dead.”

Breaking down in tears, she added: “Now I’m thinking, if there was an accident was he buried alive? Did he bleed to death? Was he suffering? Was he hurting and calling for his mummy?”

Kerry pauses to fight the waves of nausea she has been feeling since police told her they wanted to dig in Kos again.

CLICK TO PLAY


She continued: “I have to stop myself thinking. The police said they don’t want me to go through those different scenarios, but how can you not?”

She also fears for how she and her family will cope if little Ben’s body is found.

Kerry said: “My stomach is churning all the time and we have so long to wait.

"My mother’s instinct has told me Ben is alive and well all these years. How can you rely on mother’s instinct now?

“This is all I’ve known since being a teenager. My life has been looking for Ben. What do I do now? I feel lost.

Daily MirrorSouth Yorkshire police search team dig at the farmhouse in KosSouth Yorkshire police search team dig at the farmhouse in Kos
“Will I survive it? All these things are going round and round in my head. What will it do to my mum and dad?”

Recalling the day her son disappeared, she went on: “My last memories of Ben is taking him to my mum’s caravan that morning before I went to work. He was playing inside the caravan.

“He was being a typical toddler, running around, preferring to go outside to play.

“He was happy. Ben was very mischievous, always wanted to be the centre of attention and always wanted to make people laugh.

Ben NeedhamBen Needham vanished in 1991
“But he was a bugger for running off. There was no fear of anything at all.”

Later, her mum Christine took Ben to see his grandfather Eddie at the farmhouse they were renovating.

In the middle of the afternoon, Ben vanished as he played outside. Kerry spoke of her terror as the search went on that night.

She said: “I was scared for him and frantic because it was dark. Not knowing what had happened. We thought he was lost and hiding somewhere.

“The last 25 years is like living a nightmare you can’t wake up from, and a rollercoaster ride you can’t get off.

Phil Harris/Daily MirrorBen Needham missing persons flyerBen Needham missing persons flyer
“I feel so terrible for my parents. They are blaming themselves anyway. If they see me going insane or self destruct they will blame themselves even more.”

And Kerry fears sinking to the terrifying depths she reached in her early 20s, when she took an overdose.

She said: “I took a handful of anti-depressants, but a friend found me and made me sick. I didn’t want to die, I wanted the pain to stop.

“I’m always afraid of feeling like that again, so I fix myself by reminding myself how bad my depression was and say, ‘Do you want to put your family through that? They’ve had enough’.”

She added: “I’ve not had one peaceful night’s sleep since Ben went missing.

“It’s the not knowing that kills you inside, day after day after day. I still have hope but is it the hope that kills you?”

 

[Akoya]

 

[Akoya]

 

[Akoya]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ex ... en-8853255

Expert reveals what police in Ben Needham search expect to find


Experts believe the tragic tot's clothes and hair could still be visible if his remains are found

Police searching for Ben Needham can expect to find “identifiable” remains if they discover his body, experts believe.

If the corpse is found in either of two new sites due to be searched on the Greek island of Kos, then the tragic tot’s hair and clothes could both still be visible.

Dr Rebecca Gowland, a senior lecturer in human bioarchaeology at Durham University , said: “The body would decompose and so I would expect to find just the bones primarily, but it depends on the environment.

"I would expect it to be skeletonised. The bones should survive reasonably well.”

Experts believe the tragic tot's clothes and hair could still be visible if his remains are found

Dr Gowland added. “If Ben was buried, then I expect them to find the body and excavate it.

“It should be there and identifiable. It’s possible there could be hair, but it depends on the conditions and the type of soil.

 

[Akoya]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/be ... irror_main

This is the bulldozer they believe killed Ben.

 

[Akoya]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/be ... irror_main

Ben Needham police say: 'This is where we will dig for missing tot's remains'

19 SEP 2016

The plot is a small patch of scrubland immediately behind where Ben disappeared in 1991, but the land owner says he doesn't think they will find the missing toddler there

Standing in front of one of the dusty, barren spots where detectives believe they may find the remains of little Ben Needham , Stefano Troumouhis tells the Mirror he doesn't think they will find the missing tot.

Stefano, 33, who owns the land, said police have contacted him and asked for permission to dig it.

The land is a small part of a 2 ½ acre plot immediately behind the house where Ben went missing.

It’s a small piece of scrubland with just a few very old olive trees.

But police think it could hold the secrets of the 25-year Ben Needham mystery. They will dig at this particular spot and one other undisclosed location nearby some time in the coming weeks.

Stefano told the Mirror: “I was called recently and asked if the police would be able to return to look at the land.

“They asked for permission to dig. Obviously I have agreed.

“But I don’t think they will find Ben.

“I just hope he is alive somewhere and his mother can be reunited with her son.

“That would be fantastic if that happens.”

Stefano, who owns the Blue Ocean restaurant on the seafront a mile from the house, inherited the property following the death of his grandmother.

He and family were friends with Konstantinos “Dino” Barkas well.

Dino was the “digger driver” who may have accidentally killed Ben with his giant earthmover back in July 1991 .

Dino died in April 2015 after a long battle with cirrhosis of the liver.

“I knew Dino and I liked Dino. He was a good man – always helping people,”said Stefano.

“I do not believe he had anything to do with Ben’s disappearance. I just do not believe that.”

He was unable to attend Dino’s funeral in his home village of Zipari because of work commitments.

Stefano said: “I wanted to go but I just couldn’t.”

Stefano’s home is in the tiny hillside hamlet of Iraklis just a couple of miles from the island capital Kos Town.

Detectives from the South Yorkshire force will return to village in the coming weeks.

They came here originally in 2012 but their search did not give them any clues.

Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick is leading the investigation.

He said: “There will be planned operational activity at two locations on the island that have been identified as areas of interest to the investigation.

“We continue to keep an open mind and have updated Ben’s family about certain lines of enquiry we’re currently exploring.

“A dedicated policing team continues to work extremely hard to find answers for his family and keep them fully informed and supported throughout the investigation.”

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Ben Needham police say: 'This is where we will dig for missing tot's remains'
21:03, 19 SEP 2016 UPDATED 07:38, 20 SEP 2016
BY LUCY THORNTON , ANDY LINES
The plot is a small patch of scrubland immediately behind where Ben disappeared in 1991, but the land owner says he doesn't think they will find the missing toddler there


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Stefanos Troumouhis at his field next to the house were Ben Needham disappeared
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Standing in front of one of the dusty, barren spots where detectives believe they may find the remains of little Ben Needham , Stefano Troumouhis tells the Mirror he doesn't think they will find the missing tot.

Stefano, 33, who owns the land, said police have contacted him and asked for permission to dig it.

The land is a small part of a 2 ½ acre plot immediately behind the house where Ben went missing.

It’s a small piece of scrubland with just a few very old olive trees.

But police think it could hold the secrets of the 25-year Ben Needham mystery. They will dig at this particular spot and one other undisclosed location nearby some time in the coming weeks.

Stefano told the Mirror: “I was called recently and asked if the police would be able to return to look at the land.

“They asked for permission to dig. Obviously I have agreed.

“But I don’t think they will find Ben.

John Alevroyiannis / Daily MirrorStefanos Troumouhis, 33, pictured at the field, near to where Ben Needham disappearedStefanos Troumouhis, 33, pictured at the field near to where Ben Needham disappeared
John Alevroyiannis / Daily MirrorStefanos Troumouhis, 33, pictured at the house where Ben Needham disappearedStefanos at the house where Ben was last seen
“I just hope he is alive somewhere and his mother can be reunited with her son.

“That would be fantastic if that happens.”

Stefano, who owns the Blue Ocean restaurant on the seafront a mile from the house, inherited the property following the death of his grandmother.

He and family were friends with Konstantinos “Dino” Barkas well.

Dino was the “digger driver” who may have accidentally killed Ben with his giant earthmover back in July 1991 .

Dino died in April 2015 after a long battle with cirrhosis of the liver.

“I knew Dino and I liked Dino. He was a good man – always helping people,”said Stefano.

John Alevroyiannis / Daily MirrorThe field, near to where Ben Needham disappearedPolice think Ben's remains may be somewhere in this dusty field
“I do not believe he had anything to do with Ben’s disappearance. I just do not believe that.”

He was unable to attend Dino’s funeral in his home village of Zipari because of work commitments.

Stefano said: “I wanted to go but I just couldn’t.”

READ MORE
What happened to Ben Needham? Theories from the 25 year mystery over missing toddler
Stefano’s home is in the tiny hillside hamlet of Iraklis just a couple of miles from the island capital Kos Town.

Detectives from the South Yorkshire force will return to village in the coming weeks.

They came here originally in 2012 but their search did not give them any clues.

Andy Stenning / Daily MirrorBen NeedhamThe tot went missing in 1991 while his mother was at work
Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick is leading the investigation.

He said: “There will be planned operational activity at two locations on the island that have been identified as areas of interest to the investigation.

“We continue to keep an open mind and have updated Ben’s family about certain lines of enquiry we’re currently exploring.

“A dedicated policing team continues to work extremely hard to find answers for his family and keep them fully informed and supported throughout the investigation.”

READ MORE
Ben Needham's terrified mum fears she will die of heartbreak after spending 25 years hoping he will come home
Last week the Mirror found the giant earthmover believed to have being used by Dino.

The rusting yellow digger is located in a field outside a village seven miles from where little Ben went missing.

It still clearly has the “Barkas” family name painted – in Greek - on both sides.

It is so big the bucket is over eight feet tall.

South Yorkshire Police already know the digger potentially involved in Ben’s death is still in operation on the island.

Detectives have seen, and examined, it in recent months. All Dino’s family still insist he was innocent.

His son Valandis did not even know about the new search until the Mirror revealed the developments to him last Friday.

He spoke to us inside his Deluxe Cafe and insisted: “I hope that Ben is still alive. “As a father myself I cannot imagine what the mother is going through.

“The day I lost my dad was the day I lost half my heart.”

He insisted his dad was an honest, respectable businessman.

He recalled: “Years back some British tourists were here and they were taking photos and they left their wallet on top of their car.

“There was a lot of money inside - my dad found it and immediately took it to the police station to return it.

“The police said he should take half the money but my dad was an honourable man and refused.

“He took just 60 cents for the cost of the taxi – that incident sums my dad up.”

Yesterday the Daily Mirror revealed how Valandis underwent a DNA test himself. Police wanted to rule out that he wasn’t Ben.

Locals on Kos admit they will be relieved if the mystery is finally solved. Yoannis Costa, 57, said: “This has obviously been a terribly sad case.

“We all really hope that Ben’s mum has some sort of closure if there was some sort of accident that day.

“This has hung over the island for so long now.”

Dino's grieving widow didn't even know he was at the scene of the disappearance until 2012.

Varvara had never spoken about the tragedy before until she spoke to the Sunday Mirror at the weekend.

She revealed: “My husband never spoke to me about what happened that day.”

“He never talked to me about what he was doing. It was never discussed.

“He never once spoke to me about Ben. The only thing he ever said was that he saw a car that day.

“Even when he was dying he never mentioned Ben.”

She helped nurse her husband during the last year of his life as he battled intestinal problems and cirrhosis of the liver.

But she said he had nothing to hide and always co-operated with the authorities.

She said: “In the last few years Valandis our son was going with him to see the police and prosecutor.

“Even when he was really ill with his intestinal problems and he had blood transfusions he was still going to see the police whenever they asked to."

Ben’s mother Kerry has been kept updated about developments in the case.

 

[Akoya]

Stefanos at the house where Ben was last seen

Varvara Barkas says DIno never mentioned Ben, even when he was dying

Dino Barkas's son underwent DNA testing

 

[Akoya]

 

[Akoya]

An English-speaking officer told us Barkas had reported seeing a white car parked along the lane on the day Ben had disappeared. He couldn’t identify the passengers but he could tell there were two men in the front and a woman in the back. Dino had not been able to confirm whether there had been hire car signs on the number plate or bodywork but it had looked like a Suzuki, a popular model with the rental companies.

Needham, Kerry. Ben (Kindle Locations 1923-1924). Ebury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

 

[Akoya]

 

[Akoya]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ddler.html

'We expect to find hundreds of bones': Grim warning from British detective leading Ben Needham hunt as search begins for missing toddler on Kos
The 21-month-old Ben Needham went missing on the island of Kos in 1991
Police have now started a fresh excavation to find the toddler's remains
They are digging a plot of land behind farm house the family was staying in
Ben's mother Kerry Needham angered by witness who took 25 years to come forward

By CLAIRE DUFFIN ON KOS FOR THE DAILY MAIL and JULIAN ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 01:48 EST, 26 September 2016

A British detective leading the Ben Needham investigation has warned that police expect to uncover 'hundreds of bones' as they begin a new excavation in Greece.

Investigators on Kos, where the 21-month-old vanished in 1991, have told the youngster's mother Kerry Needham to 'prepare for the worst' as the search gets underway.

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Jon Cousins, from South Yorkshire Police, said the 19-strong team expected to find 'hundreds' of bones, all of which will be analysed in laboratories once they are recovered. But he also refused to rule out that Ben may still be alive.

He said: 'I am continuously keeping an open mind - and still do - as to what happened to Ben in 1991.

'There are still some other live lines of inquiry of what might have happened to Ben.

'All of this has resulted in a lot of myth and legend that has gathered over 25 years as to what has happened to Ben. It has allowed us to pare back and find out the truth and fact. That is why we're here today.'

This was the scene this morning as police started an examination of the site close in Kos

A police officer could be seen taking pictures of the ground as teams of investigators worked at the site

He added: 'There are many lines of inquiry. I am keeping an open mind, but what I know at the moment with all the information we have, I've made the decision that it is necessary to do the work that we are going to be doing over the next week or so.'

Asked if he expected to find answers, Mr Cousins said: 'I am optimistic about the search taking place.'


The dig comes after a witness came forward to suggest Ben may have been crushed to death by a digger near a farmhouse his grandparents were renovating at the time of the youngster's disappearance.

Earlier, Ben Needham's furious mother told of her anger after it took 25 years for a mystery witness to come forward with information about her missing son.

Ms Needham said she was 'angry' when police told her about the tip-off and she now lives in fear that each day will bring the 'worst news possible'.

A police officer holding a plastic evidence bag kneels down to pick up an item from the ground

British officers and members of the Greek rescue team search land on the south eastern Greek island of Kos this morning

She said the notion her son was dead never entered her 'worst nightmares' until a mystery tip-off to police this year.


Konstantinos Barkas, also known as Dino, was clearing land with an excavator close to where Ben was playing on the day he vanished and may be responsible for his death, a friend of the builder reportedly told police following a television appeal in May.

The driver reportedly died of stomach cancer last year, months before detectives from South Yorkshire Police arrived on the island for a renewed investigation.

Ms Needham, from Sheffield, told the Daily Mirror: 'Not even in my worst nightmares has Ben ever been dead ... until now. I've been waking up and finding my pillow wet with tears.

'This witness told police we deserve the truth - but we deserved the truth 25 years ago. I feel like he's only come forward because Dino is now dead.

'How can you hold on to such a secret as serious as that and for all those years?'

Police are search teams started their excavation this morning in a dusty olive grove in Kos

The dig comes after a witness came forward to suggest Ben may have been crushed to death by a digger near a farmhouse his grandparents were renovating at the time of the youngster's disappearance

Detectives are said to have carried out initial inquiries at the site, with experts testing soil and surveying the area with drones

Investigators on the Greek island where the 21-month-old vanished in 1991 have told Kerry Needham to 'prepare for the worst' as excavation work begins in Kos in the search for possible remains. This was the scene this morning ahead of the dig

 

[Akoya]

Continued

The excavation, at what is now an olive grove, is expected to take up to 12 days, police say

A team of officers scour the ground for clues as they start the excavation process this morning

Leighanna Needham said they were 'numb' in anticipation of 'the worst possible outcome that, as a family, we have dreaded for 25 years'.


Miss Needham, a healthcare coordinator, said she feared for her mother, Kerry, 44, if the news was bad.

'We're in limbo while we wait for a call that could change our whole lives,' she said.

'We don't know how to feel or how to act. It's just a terrible time for all of us.

'Mum is being incredibly strong. She's the one holding us together right now. I don't know how she does it. But I guess she has been dealing with this for 25 years. However, none of us feels very prepared at all.'

Miss Needham was born three years after Ben's disappearance and she gave birth to her first child in 2014.

Konstantinos Barkas, also known as Dino, was clearing land with an excavator close to where Ben was playing on the day he vanished and may be responsible for his death, a friend of the builder reportedly told police following a television appeal in May

Ben's sister said her family was 'preparing for the worst' as police today begin a painstaking search of an olive grove close to where the toddler went missing

'My daughter Hermione is a little angel - we need to be strong for her. She is only two and a half, and has no concept of what's going on, which is nice as it gives us something to focus on.'

But she told Closer magazine the family were bracing themselves for devastating news.

'We're preparing ourselves for the worst possible outcome that, as a family, we have dreaded for 25 years,' she said.

'But at the same time it would give us some closure – we've spent so long in limbo. I've lived my whole life wondering where Ben is, if we will ever see him again, or if he has had a really terrible life.

'If Ben did die as a 21-month-old, at least we know he hasn't spent years in pain or anguish.

'She's [my mum] doing brilliantly at the moment but I'm scared if it's bad news, it will finally break her. I'm too numb to even think about the possible outcome – I'm just taking a day at a time.

'We will deal with it as a family when it comes. It will be heartbreaking either way but we will try to cope like we always have.'

On the day he vanished, Ben was being looked after by his grandparents, Eddie and Christine Needham, while his mother, who was 19 at the time, worked at a nearby hotel.

Mr and Mrs Needham had left Britain with two of their three children, Stephen, then 17, and Danny, 12, and went to Kos, where they had once had a holiday, in search of a better life.

They parked a caravan in the shade of an olive grove and Eddie and Stephen found work renovating a rundown farmhouse.

Kerry had decided to join them in Kos with Ben a short time later after separating from his father.

The family were having lunch at the farmhouse, laughing at Ben's antics as he ran in and out pouring water over his head.

But at around 2.30pm, Christine realised he had gone quiet and went outside to look for him.

A new witness has claimed that 'Dino Barkas (pictured), who died of cancer last year, may have killed him in an accident with his JCB digger
A new witness has claimed that 'Dino Barkas (pictured), who died of cancer last year, may have killed him in an accident with his JCB digger

At first, they thought he might have gone off with Stephen, who had said he was going out on his scooter, but when he returned without Ben, the family raised the alarm.

The police search which began in Kos eventually spread to Europe, involving Interpol and the Greek authorities working with South Yorkshire police in Sheffield.

His mother Kerry, who has campaigned tirelessly over the years, believed he had been snatched and there have been hundreds of reported sightings of Ben.

Police also produced images to show what he would look like if he was alive and his face was put on milk cartons.

Well-meaning tourists even snatched strands of hair from children they thought might be Ben for DNA analysis.

But last week, Kerry received the devastating news that police now believe Ben died on the day he vanished.

A new witness came forward following a TV appeal in Greece four months ago to say digger driver Konstantinos Barkas, who was working at the family's Kos home in July 1991, killed Ben.

Barkas died last year aged 62. His family have denied he had anything to do with the boy's death and he was interviewed by police after Ben disappeared.

But his 'friend' who came forward reportedly saw the driver - known as Dino - 'sweating and shaking' after returning from the police station.

Barkas allegedly told the friend 'it's possible' there could have been a tragic accident.

A specialist team from South Yorkshire Police has now travelled to Kos and will begin the search today, examining two sites which have not yet been searched previously - despite being just yards from the farmhouse.

It is expected the search will take 10 to 12 days.

Yesterday, Greek search and rescue officers were preparing the site ahead of today's excavation.

A white tent had been erected behind the grove, to offer those searching some protection from the sun.

A JCB digger was also manoeuvred into place before operations begin today.

An officer at the scene said: 'Yes, it is a grim task, but it has to be done.'

The site - not much more than scrubland with a few old olive trees - is is a small part of a 2 ½ acre plot across a road from the house where Ben went missing.

Locals have said they hope the search will finally yield answers. Many are tired of the area's association with the tragedy.

One taxi driver, who did not want to be named, said: 'I do actually hope they find something. It is awful but perhaps then, his poor mother can have some closure, at least she will know then.

'My good friend, he was a fisherman, and he disappeared 12 years ago, every time the phone rings, his wife hopes it is him - I think the not knowing is worse.'

Kerry, who is understood to be staying at a secret location while she waits for news, has been told that the information from the friend of the digger driver was 'more than hearsay but it's not concrete evidence as yet'.

The family have previously told of their frustration that Ben's case has failed to attract the worldwide publicity the McCann's have garnered for their campaign to find their daughter Maddie, who went missing in Portugal in 2007 aged four.

Leighanna said previously: 'Unlike the McCanns, we haven't had the money to pay for publicists and private detectives, we've just had each other and a lot of faith and determination.

'I think people have always seen us differently. The McCanns are GPs with money, my mum is a single mother who lived in a council house.'

The Home Office has provided £1.15million to pay for the current British investigation.

 

[Akoya]

TIMELINE: A 25-YEAR SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH
Here is a timeline of events charting the disappearance of Sheffield toddler Ben Needham on the Greek island of Kos 25 years ago.

July 24 1991: Ben Needham vanishes while playing near the grounds of a farmhouse in the Iraklis region of Kos, which his family are renovating. His mother, Kerry Needham, and grandparents raise the alarm with local police and conduct a full search of the area.

July 26 1991: Eyewitness reports claim a boy matching Ben's description was found at the local airport on the day he disappeared. That boy has never been traced.

September 1991: The Needham family return to England due to illness but vow to continue the search.

June 2003: The Metropolitan Police issue an image of what Ben might look like at age 12 - 14 years old.

2004: An anonymous businessman offers a reward of £500,000 for information leading to Ben's safe return.

October 2010: Another public appeal is made by Ben's mother in the run-up to what would be his 21st birthday.

May 2011: The BBC airs a programme called Missing 2011, which includes a piece on Ben's story and the campaign to find him.

September 2011: Greek police on Kos officially re-open the case and grant the family a face-to-face meeting with the island's prosecutor.

October 2012: South Yorkshire Police in Kos begin digging up mounds around the property where Ben went missing to look for his remains.

December 2013: Ben's mother accuses then-Prime Minister David Cameron of not giving her case the same backing as he gave the parents of Madeline McCann. It comes as a dossier is produced containing reports from eight witnesses, none of who know each other, who all saw a boy possibly matching Ben's description with the same Greek family.

December 2014: Lawyers representing Ben's family say they may take legal action to try to force the Government to make a decision about funding a new police investigation.

January 2015: The Home Office agrees to fund a team of British detectives to help search for the toddler.

March/April 2015: Three generations of Ben Needham's family travel to Greece to follow up a 'strong' lead that a man living there believes he may be the missing Brit due to having no photographs of himself under the age of two and no knowledge of where he was born. The man is later ruled out.

May 2015: Ben's family make a fresh appeal on Greek television for information regarding the disappearance.

May 2016: The Sun newspaper publishes a report that members of the police operation go on an 'eight-hour booze-up' in Kos during the latest stage of the investigation.

September 2016: Ben's family are told to 'prepare for the worst' by detectives leading the investigation, amid the belief the 21-month-old was crushed to death by a digger - the driver of which died in 2015.

It comes as police arrive in Kos to begin excavation work in the belief the boy's remains may be buried near the farmhouse

Detectives are said to have carried out initial inquiries at the site, with experts testing soil and surveying the area with drones.

Last week, Mr Fenwick said: 'There will be planned operational activity at two locations on the island that have been identified as areas of interest to the investigation.

'We continue to keep an open mind and have updated Ben's family about certain lines of inquiry we're currently exploring.'

Meanwhile Ben's sister said her family was 'preparing for the worst' as police today begin a painstaking search of an olive grove close to where the toddler went missing.

 

[Akoya]

Detective Inspector Jon Cousins is among the British officers at the scene in Kos, Greece

 

[Akoya]

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/world-ne ... am-8852737

Digger driver at centre of Ben Needham police probe was successful businessman who 'knew everyone on the island'

21:53, 16 SEP 2016 UPDATED 07:12, 17 SEP 2016


Konstantinos “Dino” Barkas had a network of contacts all over Kos, the Mirror can reveal

The digger driver suspected of killing Ben Needham was a wealthy businessman protected by a code of silence for 25 years, it is feared.

Konstantinos “Dino” Barkas had a network of contacts all over Kos, the Mirror can reveal.

Dino, who died of cirrhosis last year aged 62, was initially quizzed about Ben’s disappearance and told police he would “chop his arms off” so he could never drive again if he had killed 21-month-old Ben.

But it is now feared these were hollow words – and that he was able to hide a dark secret because he was so well connected on the Greek island where the toddler went missing in 1991.

Digger driver Konstantinos Barkas could have taken secrets of Ben Needham's death to his grave

The digger driver suspected of killing Ben Needham was a wealthy businessman protected by a code of silence for 25 years, it is feared.


READ MORE
Ben Needham's mum has been warned her missing son could be discovered in fragments
John Alevroyiannis/Daily MirrorKostantinos BarkasDigger driver Kostantinos Barkas
A close friend of the Barkas family, who asked not to be identified, said: “Everyone on Kos – and I mean everyone – knew Dino.”

The owner of a cafe in nearby Kos Town said: “He was a very well-known figure in the business community.

"He was a very successful businessman involved in the building of many hotels on the island.

“Despite owning the company he was a very hard worker and didn’t mind getting his hands dirty.

“But he also loved his drink and was a well-known womaniser.”

READ MORE
Ben Needham 'digger killer' final interview: "People were misled in thinking the child was abducted"

Ben Needham has been missing for 25 years
Ben’s mum Kerry Needham said it would make sense if Dino had people protecting him.

Kerry, from Sheffield, said: “I thought he was just a poor digger driver, I had no idea he was so connected.

"I’m now starting to worry there has been a conspiracy of silence around him all these years.

“I think he was being protected – which stopped people coming forward in 25 years.

"But now I would appeal to them, to think of my family and the pain we suffered.

Kostantinos Barkas knew everyone on the island
“Please, stop being scared and help us find out exactly what happened to my son. Please come forward.”

Dino was widely known to be a heavy drinker, raising questions over whether he may have been drunk while operating heavy machinery.

Despite his wealth Dino spent many days in the cab of his huge digger.

He was clearing access for a delivery of concrete on the day Ben went missing, on a building site just 100 yards from the farmhouse where the toddler was playing in the village of Iraklis.

When quizzed by the Daily Mirror in 2012 he said: “Yes, I was the man with the JCB that day.

Loads of earth were being taken to clear the ground for the new house down the road.

“I think people were misled in thinking the child was abducted. Could there have been an accident?

"I don’t think so, but no one really knows what happened.” But Dino later insisted to his close family that Ben had been abducted.

It has been claimed Ben could have been killed in an accident but his body then removed from the scene and buried elsewhere.

British police have been looking into the timetable of events leading up to Ben’s disappearance.

Kostantinos Barkas' grave
After Dino’s death last year a new witness told police there were two areas of land where building waste had been dumped by Dino which had never been searched.

South Yorkshire Police are now due to dig on Kos for a second time.

The force confirmed officers will be travelling to Kos this month to work with Greek authorities and start digs at two new sites.

Det Supt Matt Fenwick, leading the investigation, said: “There will be planned operational activity at two locations on the island that have been identified as areas of interest to the investigation.

"We continue to keep an open mind and have updated Ben’s family about certain lines of enquiry we’re currently exploring.

Konstantinos Barkas
“A dedicated policing team continues to work extremely hard to find answers for his family and keep them fully informed and supported throughout the investigation.”

Kerry understands there is a statute of limitations of 20 years in Greek law, and does not believe there will ever be a prosecution for Ben’s disappearance or death.

Many islanders have reportedly long believed an accident involving construction machinery was the most credible explanation for Ben’s disappearance.

Shopkeeper Xanthippi Aggrelli, 63, was at school with Dino and got to know the Needhams when she volunteered as their translator in 1991.

She told the Mirror: “When it happened people were saying that something terrible has happened to the baby boy; some said the truck smashed into him.

“There was a big Caterpillar truck and a digger. It was the baby’s curiosity; he was going there to see.

"We heard from many people that it was an accident. It was thought the body was hidden and that is why Ben has never been found.”

But Dino’s family defended him.

Son Valandis Barkas, 29, said: “My dad lived his life with this hanging over him and I cannot believe they are still hounding him even after his death.

"He had nothing to do with Ben’s disappearance. Towards the end he was a very ill man, and he was very concerned and worried about everything to do with Ben coming back. It upset him a lot.

“My mother is very, very tired. She lost her husband and now she has to go through all this.

"When the British police came here he went up there to the site to help them.

"He told them they could look as much as they want but they would not find the little boy there.

“As far as I know the boy was abducted. That’s what my dad always said and that’s what our family still believe today.

"My father was a very good, honest man. My dad always told the police and prosecutors that there wasn’t an accident.

“He said the boy was taken away and almost certainly taken to Athens.”

He added: “I hope that Ben is still alive. As a father myself I cannot imagine what his mother is going through.”

He said his father died from cirrhosis of the liver after suffering from intestinal problems for some time.

Dino’s brother Ioannis branded the renewed investigation “disgusting”.

He said: “My brother is dead – he cannot defend himself. Why don’t they let his soul rest in peace.

“I don’t understand why they are still chasing Dino. Are they going to take a dead man in to court?”

 

[Akoya]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -body.html

Ben Needham police discover pieces of light coloured fabric during dig to find body of toddler who was wearing a white T-shirt when he went missing


27 September 2016


Police investigating the disappearance of toddler Ben Needham 25 years ago have found pieces of light-coloured fabric during a search of an olive grove close to where he went missing.

The items will now be sent off for forensic testing.

Ben, who went missing in July 1991, was wearing a white buttoned T-shirt with a green motif and brown leather sanders with a buckle when he vanished.

He was not wearing any shorts as he had wet them earlier in the day and his grandmother had hung them on a tree to dry.

Detective Inspector Jon Cousins, who is leading the new search, said the pieces of fabric - one of which was six inches square - were of 'slight interest'.


snip


The new search will involve digging deeper and will focus on one area following information from the witness, who came forward following a TV appeal in Greece four months ago.

Ben was 21 months old when he went missing from a farmhouse which once sat on the site in July 1991. His mother Kerry, who had moved to the Greek island from Sheffield, always believed he was abducted.

Then, earlier this month, the claims emerged that Ben could have been killed.

The witness alleged digger driver Konstantinos Barkas, who was working at the farmhouse, killed Ben.

Barkas died last year aged 62. His family have denied he had anything to do with the boy's death and he was interviewed by police after Ben disappeared.

But his friend reportedly saw the driver – known as Dino – 'sweating and shaking' after returning from the police station. Barkas allegedly told the friend 'it's possible' there could have been a tragic accident.

Yesterday, the search team focused on the top left hand corner of the land, leading to speculation officers had received very specific information about the whereabouts of any evidence.

But the detective in charge of the hunt said it was too early to say if the bone fragments are linked to Ben because the land has been used for grazing animals for centuries.

DI Cousins said: 'I have every reason to believe that the matters he [the witness] discussed are of great significance.

'The search in 2012 was based on information known at the time ... the new information that has come forward – all of that put together – gives me a very strong reason to be here for the next week or so.'