Private investigator hired by family of Sheffield's Ben Needham following Disney+ true crime docuseries
“Even the smallest detail could be important”
The family of a Sheffield toddler who disappeared in Greece 35 years ago has hired a private investigator.
Ben Needham was only 21 months old when he vanished on the Greek island of Kos in July 1991.
2026 has seen his loved ones mark 35 years since his disappearance, the sad passing of Ben’s grandfather Eddie, as well as a feature on the Disney+ series ‘20/20 Britain’s Most Notorious Crime Investigations ‘ in July.
Now, following the broadcast, Ben’s family has hired a private investigator in a bid to re-examine the case.
It comes alongside a fresh appeal for information in both English and Greek through the Help Find Ben Needham Facebook page.
“A private investigator is following new leads and examining the information surrounding Ben’s disappearance,” the appeal reads.
“If you have any information that could help, no matter how small you believe it may be, please come forward. Even the smallest detail could be important.
“If you remember anything about Ben’s disappearance or events surrounding it, please share this post and help keep his story visible.”
The page has also asked its followers to donate to a GoFundMe campaign to help continue the search, which recently hit £10,000.
The family says it needs £10,000 to fund the private investigation team, and another £7,000 for legal representation to access “vital unseen files”.
On the day Ben disappeared, he was playing outside a farmhouse his grandfather was renovating while his mum, Kerry, worked at a nearby hotel.
The family had moved to the island earlier in 1991 for a new life.
In December 2025, Ben’s family created an official website collating information about his disappearance: https://findbenneedham.com/
To this day, Ben’s mum, Kerry, fights to follow leads that could solve the case, stating: "Someone out there knows exactly where Ben is".
Over the decades, numerous people have come forward believing they could be Ben themselves, but to no avail.
Kerry’s searches have explored a theory that Ben was “illegally adopted” by a criminal gang seeking to traffic and sell children to families overseas. Her enquiries reportedly led her to meet an elderly man who was trafficked from Greece to New York as a baby.