Ben Needham's mum Kerry in 'blind panic' after tip-off about missing toddler sighting

A police force in the US has been helping the Ben Needham inquiry after his mum was sent a “disturbing” anonymous sighting tip. Kerry Needham, 53, who now lives in Turkey, told how the ‘Help Find Ben’ website received an email last November about Ben’s whereabouts.

But the mum kept the ‘viable’ information a secret for eight months, as officers from two countries launched a joint investigation. The tipster claims he saw Ben in another country and has been quizzed by detectives in the states.

But now “frustrated” Kerry, originally from Sheffield, fears the investigation has ‘stalled’ as she is still waiting for a crucial update eight months on.

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Kerry told the Mirror she handed over the original information to South Yorkshire Police who struggled to track the email sender. But eventually US police were able to crack the email and spent three hours quizzing the tipster. The mum does not want to share further information because of the risk to the ongoing investigation but the man claims to have seen Ben in the States in the early 1990s.

“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,” Kerry told The Mirror. "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 sent had the subject listed as “Ben needham sighting”. It then said: “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 and addresses have been removed at the request of Kerry.

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.”

On Thursday, Kerry faces the 34th anniversary of her son’s disappearance. Ben went missing on July 24, 1991, when he was 21 months old and playing outside a farmhouse his grandfather was renovating on the Greek island of Kos. That day Kerry was working in a nearby hotel as a waitress after joining her parents and two brothers to start a new life overseas.

Since her son vanished Kerry was searched worldwide for Ben, following up thousands of sightings, DNA tests and even trafficking claims. She said: “Here I am again, spending another anniversary waiting for answers. 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.”

The original tip was sent on the evening of November 8th 2024. It was anonymous and claimed Ben was spotted overseas in the early 1990s - but contained “unusual” information that raised the alarm for Kerry. “It was a hidden Gmail account and said ‘I believe that I saw Ben Needham in 1991 and 1992’ - naming an exact location. It went on to say Ben was brought there (by a man) who was dropping him off to ‘meet his grandmother for the first time’. For investigative purposes we are unable to name that country at this moment.

“The email sender has now been interviewed, it took three hours. But as yet we still don't have an update as to how the interview went or a transcript. Investigations are continuing. I try and hope that it is taking so long because it is being looked at thoroughly but the wait is excruciating.”

As for the anniversary of her son’s disappearance, she told how she will be spending it with her daughter Leighanna, 31 and her two granddaughters aged 11 and seven. “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.”

Regarding the anniversary of Ben’s disappearance on Thursday, South Yorkshire Police said: “Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with the family of Ben Needham as they mark an incredibly difficult milestone - 34 years since Ben disappeared on the Greek island of Kos. Ben was just 21 months old when he vanished, and the pain of that loss continues to be deeply felt.

“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.”