Mum of missing Ben Needham quits UK for Turkey to be nearer island where son disappeared 33 years ago

Ben Needham was 21 months old when he vanished on the Greek island of Kos in July 1991 during a visit to the holiday isle to see his grandparents.

Now, after decades of searching and regular appeals for information, his mother, Kerry, 52, has reportedly moved to Turkey to be nearer the island where her son disappeared.

Kerry told The Mirror she could never live on Kos itself as it “makes her feel sick,” but will be able to reach it in a matter of hours from now on as travelling back and forth from the UK was becoming “physically and financially impossible.”

She told the paper: “I had to make a kind of heartbreaking choice.

“We have been doing it for 33 years and unfortunately haven’t got finances to do that any more. If I was strong enough to live in Greece I would live there but it’s mentally impossible for me to live there. I’d be looking at every single blue-eyed blond guy thinking, ‘Are you Ben?’. I would never have a moment’s peace.”

The toddler was playing outside a farmhouse his grandfather was renovating in a village called Iraklis when he vanished.

Large scale land excavation work was carried out around the farmhouse where Ben was last seen alive. Despite the lack of human remains, South Yorkshire Police announced in October 2016 that detectives believed Ben had died as a result of an accident involving a digger clearing land nearby.

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Ben’s mum, Kerry, is not convinced and regularly appeals for people with information to come forward.

It comes after this year in July a Danish man came forward believing himself to be Ben. However, DNA results last week proved he was not a match.

Kerry said last week: “I will never give up for as long as I live.

“I knew in my heart of hearts it wasn’t him but there’s always that hope, there’s always that chance. It could be someone you least expect, it’s always possible.”

Following the DNA results, a spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “Our thoughts are with Ben’s family who have never given up hope of discovering the truth of what happened on the 24 July 1991 and we will continue to support them in that endeavour.”