Mum of missing Ben Needham sends birthday message to her "beautiful boy"

Today marks Ben’s 35th birthday and to honour the special day, his mum Kerry has posted a heartbreaking message to her son online.

It reads: “Happy birthday my beautiful boy, you are always in my thoughts and my heart.

“Another year has gone by in our search for you and we will continue to search until the truth is found.

“We will NEVER give up.”

Ben, who was born in Sheffield, was visiting the Greek island of Kos with his mum Kerry when the toddler disappeared in July 1991.

He was playing outside a farmhouse his grandparents were renovating after they had swapped the Steel City for a new life in the sun.

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There have been many theories investigated by detectives over the years, including that Ben was abducted.

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

The force said detectives believed that Ben died as a result of a digger clearing land close to where the toddler vanished.

Det Insp Jon Cousins said at the time: “During the course of the inquiries 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.

“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.”

Ben’s mum, Kerry, maintains hope that Ben is still alive and regularly appeals for people with information to come forward.