'Does nobody care?': Ben Needham's mother says she will now hire a private investigator in desperate bid to solve one of Britain's longest-running missing person mysteries after UK police dropped the case

Published: 20:26, 28 June 2026 | Updated: 20:31, 28 June 2026 When British toddler Ben Needham vanished from the Greek island of Kos almost 35 years ago, his mother Kerry could not have imagined just how enduring the search to find him would be.  Now 53, Ms Needham has spent every day since Ben's disappearance in 1991 pursuing fresh leads, supporting ongoing inquiries and travelling across Europe in the hope of finding answers about what happened to her son, who would now be 36. But last month, she was dealt a fresh blow after being informed South Yorkshire Police's (SYP) Major Crime Unit would no longer be responsible for investigating Ben's disappearance after 14 years. Describing the development as 'devastating', Ms Needham, who now lives in Turkey, said she feels she has been left with little option but to continue the search herself. Ben, from Sheffield, was just 21 months old when he disappeared from a farmhouse near Iraklis on Kos in July 1991.  His grandparents, Eddie and Christine Needham, were renovating the property at the time, while his mother was working at a nearby hotel when he vanished without a trace. In the years since, there have been countless reported sightings and numerous theories about what may have happened to the toddler. Yet despite becoming one of Britain's longest-running missing persons investigations, Ben's whereabouts remain unknown. Determined not to let the case go cold, Ms Needham has revealed plans to hire a private investigator in Greece, believing it may represent the best remaining chance of uncovering the truth almost four decades on.  Ben Needham's mum Kerry will hire a Greek private detector to investigate her son's disappearance  Kerry Needham had devoted her life since Ben's disappearance to pursuing fresh leads, supporting ongoing inquiries and travelling across Europe in the hope of finding answers Ben was just 21 months old when he disappeared from a farmhouse on the Greek island of Kos in 1991 However, pursuing the new line of inquiry comes at a considerable financial cost, prompting Ms Needham to launch a GoFundMe appeal to help fund the investigation.  She spoke exclusively to the Mail about her disappointment at what she sees as a lack of urgency from British police regarding Ben's disappearance - but how a private detective might finally bring an almost four-decade-long mystery to a close.  Ms Needham said: 'It makes you really think does nobody care? This is a missing person. Yes, it's been a long time. 'But when a report from a police officer or a detective inspector lands on your desk and it's a missing person, someone should pick that up and say, "Wow, that's urgent." 'That needs to be done now. But obviously it's not, and you feel like you're banging your head against the brick wall sometimes.' She said that if a private investigator were to be engaged with the case, they could meticulously review all inquiries and reports into her son's disappearance.  Ms Needham said: 'I think if a private investigator got involved and was allowed to take the case files and review them from the very beginning, they will see that there were lots of mistakes made, and potential cover-ups. 'A PI can go through the files with a fine-tooth comb as they have nothing to hide. Ben's disappearance has become one of Britain's longest-running missing persons investigations 'There are also lots of inconsistencies within people's original statements, and a PI can and interview all these people, speaking to them face to face. 'I believe that a PI will delve into these things even more than a police officer can.' Ms Needham explained that her decision to seek the help of a private investigator followed a conversation with a family liaison officer, who she claims told her South Yorkshire Police would no longer be taking an active role in Ben's case. Instead, Greek police would solely be pursuing lines of inquiry.   This is despite South Yorkshire Police being responsible for investigating Ben's disappearance since 2012, when the Home Office awarded the force £700,000 to reopen Ben's case after concerns were raised by the family that it had not previously been examined thoroughly enough. That year, officers excavated land surrounding Ben's grandparents' farmhouse where Ben vanished -  but no traces of DNA were found. A second excavation by the force followed in 2016 after a witness alleged that Konstantinos Barkas, a digger driver from Kos, had accidentally run Ben over and buried his body beneath building waste. During that search, an 'item' believed to have been in Ben's possession was recovered, leading investigators to suggest the most likely explanation for his disappearance was an accidental death. Police formally ended a search on Kos in October 2016, saying they believe Ben may have died as a result of an accident involving a digger South Yorkshire Police Officers excavated the area surrounding the farmhouse where ben disappeared in 2012 and 2016 Police formally ended that search in October 2016. Ms Needham, however, does not accept that conclusion. She said: 'South Yorkshire Police's theory is that Ben died in an accident on the day because a witness came forward and told them all this. 'But there is no physical or forensic evidence to prove that that happened.' Ms Needham, who is also mother to Leighanna, added that part of the problem why her son's case has not been resolved is the lack of funding surrounding it.  She said: 'I've never had a big fund to help find Ben. I have never done. We've never ever had the finances for a private detective. 'We have never had financial backing from anybody at all. And that makes you feel sometimes that Ben's case isn't as important as another missing person. 'And there are a lot of families of missing people that feel the same, not just me. It is about time that I spoke out about this because it really is unfair.' Ms Needham said the investigation has now come down to her but she 'can't do it alone anymore' The situation, she said, has left her and her family feeling increasingly let down - a sense of frustration compounded by what she understood to be South Yorkshire Police stepping back from the case. South Yorkshire Police has maintained that it will remain involved with Ben's case - despite the call Ms Needham received.  A spokesperson for the force said it was not stepping back fully, but rather reinforced that its role is to act as a 'conduit for information sharing' between UK authorities, Interpol and the Greek authorities. They said: 'The investigation itself is led by the Greek authorities. 'Our resource allocation has not changed, as we continue to have a designated family liaison officer and detective inspector as the points of contacts for all of the relevant agencies and Ben's family. 'The Greek investigation is open and we believe it will remain open until a conclusion is reached. Our involvement in support of the investigation has not changed.' The force emphasised that they are 'committed' to supporting Ben's family, and said they are 'deeply sorry for any confusion this review may have caused.' Yet hiring a private investigator is likely to come at a high cost for Ms Needham, who has spent most of her adult life attempting to find her son.  Ms Needham launched a GoFundMe to raise the £2,000 required for a Greek investigative firm To finance the cost, Ms Needham launched a GoFundMe campaign in March to raise the £2,000 required for a Greek investigative firm - which she declined to name - to begin reviewing the case. However, she said the overall cost could eventually run into tens of thousands of euros. Ms Needham said: 'The initial cost, just to start with for them to kind of take on the investigation and try and get the case files and things like that, is going to be €2000. 'And then anything after that, an investigation such as this can cost somewhere around €20,000. 'I have explained to the private investigator that I don't have those kinds of finances, and he's quite sympathetic about that, and he said we can try and work together, but I don't want to kind of employ him without having a substantial amount of money. 'I don't want to be in debt to somebody, and not be able to pay him for the job. 'I'm hoping that we would get enough money to employ him because it would be the first time in 35 years that a private investigator would have ever, ever done this and who knows? 'South Yorkshire police are limited to what they can do, and unfortunately, the Greek police have not been very, very helpful. I'm on my own with this. 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