The mother of missing Ben Needham has said she will keep searching for her son, who disappeared on the Greek island of Kos 30 years ago.

Ben was 21 months old when he went missing, and police believe he died on 24 July, 1991, as a result of an accident involving “heavy machinery”.

He was staying at his grandparents’ farmhouse on the Greek island when he vanished.

But his mother, Kerry Needham, believes her son is still alive.

“I still have that hope that South Yorkshire Police are wrong,” she told the Daily Mirror.

“And while there is no evidence to show me, I have to believe he is still alive.

“There’s not a single thread of evidence to say otherwise.”

She said she feels “stuck” in 1991 and has devoted three decades to the search for her son, adding: “I’ve never had any dreams or goals apart from finding Ben.”

Detectives from South Yorkshire Police carried out a three-week search of Kos in 2016.

Speaking at the time, then Detective Inspector Jon Cousins said: “My team and I know that machinery, including a large digger, was used to clear an area of land on 24 July 1991, 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.”

He said the investigation would not close and new information would be looked at, adding: “We will not stop in our quest to find further answers for Ben’s family.”

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