Ben Needham's mother in 'panic' after tip-off about missing toddler sighting
US police are helping the investigation into missing toddler Ben Needham after his mum received a 'disturbing' anonymous tip claiming her son was seen decades ago.
Kerry Needham, 53, who now lives in Turkey, revealed the Help Find Ben website got the email back in November 2024 – but she kept the 'viable' lead secret while a joint probe between UK and American detectives got under way.
The tipster claimed he spotted Ben in the early 1990s and has since been grilled for three hours by police in the States.
But Kerry, originally from Sheffield, says she is now 'frustrated' as the investigation appears to have 'stalled'.
She told the Mirror: 'I don't want to jeopardize the investigation but as far as I'm concerned this information left me feeling overwhelmed, it shook me and I went into a blind panic, because when I started looking at the claim, I could see there was some potential there.
"The detail in this email gave me clues to look at and led me to further information about a person of interest, whose name I have come across several times over the years. Now we are waiting for that person to be investigated and that wait has been unbearable.'
The email, subject-lined 'Ben Needham sighting', read: 'I believe that I saw ben needham around 1991 or 1992 at the... on... He was brought there by... he was being dropped off to an elderly lady... he was meeting his grandmother for the first time.'
Some details have been withheld for investigative reasons.
South Yorkshire Police said: 'We are often contacted by people who believe they may have seen Ben and we follow up on all reasonable lines of enquiry. Earlier this year, we received contact from a man in the US who believes he may have seen Ben.
"We have asked US authorities to speak with him on our behalf and gather any details. No new lines of enquiry have developed from these conversations at this stage.'
Kerry will mark the 34th anniversary of her son's disappearance on Thursday – another painful milestone in her decades-long search.
Ben was just 21 months old when he vanished on July 24, 1991, while playing outside a farmhouse on the Greek island of Kos.
'Here I am again, spending another anniversary waiting for answers,' Kerry said. 'We've had this information since November and I'm still waiting for this person to be looked into. It is painful and frustrating. South Yorkshire police have been trying to get a response from this overseas police force but we are still waiting for them to give us an update.'
Kerry, who will spend the day with her daughter Leighanna, 31, and two granddaughters, added: 'They keep me busy and distracted at what is the hardest time every year. They are my pride and joy and my reason for living. I can't go down in front of them. I can't allow them to see me in the low points of my life.
"As Leighanna has grown up and watched her blossom, I wonder how Ben would have turned out, what he would have been like as a brother and an uncle. They looked very similar when they were small. I've always got questions in my head. I live in hope one day my questions will be answered and Ben found.'
South Yorkshire Police said their thoughts are with the Needham family: 'Over the years, our investigation has led us to the conclusion that, on the balance of probabilities, Ben died on the day he went missing. However, we remain absolutely committed to finding the answers that his family so desperately need and deserve. Until those answers are found, our investigation will remain open.'
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