Police formally end their dig for clues in the search for Ben Needham who went missing in Greece as a toddler in 1991

  • South Yorkshire Police began digging for Ben Needham three weeks ago
  • Police and a team of local volunteers excavated around a Greek farmhouse
  • The 21-month-old toddler vanished while on a family holiday in April 1991 

By Darren Boyle for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

The latest search to find missing toddler Ben Needham on the Greek island of Kos has been called off. 

The 21-month-old baby from Sheffield disappeared from the Greek island on July 24, 1991. 

South Yorkshire Police and Greek volunteers have spent three weeks searching the grounds around an old farmhouse to no avail. 

Ben Needham went missing from the Greek island of Kos on July 24, 1991 while on holiday

Ben Needham, left,went missing from the Greek island of Kos on July 24, 1991 while on holiday. His mother Kerry, right, praised the police and  search team for their work this month

South Yorkshire police and volunteers have spent three weeks searching for Ben's body 

South Yorkshire police and volunteers have spent three weeks searching for Ben's body 

The search team has found items of evidence which may help in the search for Ben's remains

The search team has found items of evidence which may help in the search for Ben's remains

Ben's mother Kerry praised the search team who spent the past three weeks searching for her missing son. 

South Yorkshire Police confirmed the dig for clues was at an end. 

It was prompted by information that digger driver Konstantinos Barkas, also known as Dino, may be responsible for the toddler's death, as he was clearing land with an excavator near where Ben was playing on the day he vanished.

Mr Barkas is believed to have died from stomach cancer last year.

In a statement, South Yorkshire Police said: 'The physical search of two sites on Kos, Greece has formally come to an end.

'Work continues behind the scenes as officers begin to process the findings from each site.'

The force said a full update will be released from the team on the island at midday UK time on Monday. 

Despite not finding Ben's body, his family's supporters stressed the search was not a 'wild goose chase' and did produce evidence which could help solve the 25-year-old mystery

Despite not finding Ben's body, his family's supporters stressed the search was not a 'wild goose chase' and did produce evidence which could help solve the 25-year-old mystery

Detective Inspector Jon Cousins is expect to brief the media in the morning on developments. 

Detective Inspector Jon Cousins is expect to brief the media in the morning on developments. 

According to the official Find Ben Needham Facebook page: ' South Yorkshire Police, Operation Ben team, the Hellenic Search and Rescue team, huge thank you to each and everyone of you.

'Also to the media that has followed the case of missing Ben Needham for the last 25 years and special thank you to the ITV Calendar News team who have been consistently by the Needham family's side since the beginning in 1991. xXx

'Please everyone remember the items found will now be analysed, so although there may seem to be no answers as yet hopefully we should have news on what exactly was found soon. 

'This search wasn't done on a whim after just ONE witness statement. The Operation Ben team were already following this line of enquiry after going through 25 years of information and witness statements. 

Supporters of the Needham family have praised the search time for their hard work this month

Supporters of the Needham family have praised the search time for their hard work this month

'The new witness statement just corroborated the info SYP already had and was a targeted search - not a wild goose chase. 

'The Police and the Hellenic Search and Rescue team have our utmost respect and can't really thank them enough.As Kerry has already said- they are heroes.

'The Hellenic Search and Rescue team are all volunteers , please donate if you can via the link.  

Earlier this week his mother Kerry told how desperate she was for 'closure'.

She told Good Morning Britain: 'You know 25 years of living and not knowing where your child is, is torment. I don't like to say it but then at least we would know and it would be closure - and he can be laid to rest and we can remember him as he was.' 

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