Ben Needham search: Police 'optimistic' as new Kos dig starts

Ben Needham vanished on the Greek island of Kos in July 1991 when he was 21 months old

Police teams searching for missing toddler Ben Needham on the Greek island of Kos have said they are "optimistic" about new excavation work.

South Yorkshire Police is assisting with the Greek police-led investigation

Ben, from Sheffield, was 21 months old when he disappeared on 24 July 1991 during a family holiday. Digging has begun at a new site after a fresh line of inquiry suggested he could have been crushed by a digger.


South Yorkshire Police (SYP) said it continued to keep an "open mind" about what happened to Ben. The dig is expected to take 10 to 12 days, with the team of 19 expected to find "hundreds" of bones to be analysed.