POLICE BELIEVE BEN NEEDHAM WAS ‘ KILLED IN DIGGER ACCIDENT ’ AS SEARCH IN KOS ENDS
On 17 October , police concluded that missing toddler Ben Needham died as a result of a digger accident on the island of Kos .
© Rex Features
Ben was 21-months old when he disappeared from a farmhouse in the Iraklis area of the Greek island in 1991 . Based on new information , detectives believe that Ben was killed as a result of a digger accident and that material was “ removed from the farmhouse on or shortly after the day that Ben disappeared ”.
A renewed investigation into a search for his body , involving a three-week dig on two sites of the island , came to an end .
60 items were analysed in the UK amid a “ very complex investigation ”. Detectives failed to recover a body , however , South Yorkshire Police believe that a yellow toy car found during police searches on Kos belong to the missing toddler .
Speaking at the scene , Detective Inspector Jon Cousins said :
“ During the course of the enquiries we have made over the last 19 months , we have closed off a large number of theories about what happened to Ben , many of which have been open for over 20 years .
“ However , based on the information that I have now , as a result of an extensive and thorough investigation , it is without doubt that the current line of enquiry is the most probable cause for Ben ’ s disappearance .
“ My team and I know that machinery , including a large digger , was used to clear an area of land on 24 July 1991 ,
Ben Needham
behind the farmhouse that was being renovated by the Needhams . It is my professional belief that Ben Needham died as a result of an accident near to the farmhouse in Iraklis where he was last seen playing .
“ The events leading up to and following that incident have been explored by my team of experts to great lengths . The fact that we have not had a direct result during this visit to Kos does not preclude the facts that we know to be true .
“ An item found , which I have shown personally to some of Ben ’ s family , was found in one of the targeted areas at the second site , very close to a dated item from 1991 .
“ It is our initial understanding that this item was in Ben ’ s possession around the time he went missing .”
Police said the search for Ben involved the “ highest forensic integrity ” and ended after 3,600 hours of digging , moving through 1,200 tonnes of sifted material .
See more at : www . hseinternational . co . uk / police-believe-ben-needham-killeddigger-accident-search-kos-ends
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