Claims Sheffield tot Ben Needham was abducted in black speedboat dismissed

South Yorkshire Police officers on the island dismissed reports in The Mirror that a black speedboat was used to kidnap Ben, who would now be 26 years old.

Speaking from Kos, Det Insp Jon Cousins said: “I have no idea where they got the black speedboat from – it certainly wasn’t from police.

“I was asked about boats, because Ben was taken off the island, and we are doing a number of enquiries, but nothing came from us.”

The Star reported yesterday that a mystery caller contacted police in 1993 claiming they knew where Ben was.

The caller claimed that Ben was being looked after by a man called Nikos and that his name had been changed to Andreas.

DI Cousins said urged the caller to come forward and help the investigation.

He told The Star: “There are a number of lines of enquiry into who Nikos might be which, of course, we are following.”

A team of 10 South Yorkshire Police officers are on the island investigating Ben’s abduction from a farmhouse.

Ben was 21 months old when he vanished on July 24, 1991, after travelling to the island with his mum and grandparents. There have been a number of possible sightings.

Mum Kerry Needham praised the efforts of the officers investigating Ben’s abduction. She said: “We need to look to the future and remain positive and hopefully get some answers.”