Missing Sheffield toddler Ben Needham 'may have been crushed by digger'
The mum of missing Sheffield toddler Ben Needham has been told to "prepare for the worst'' by detectives who suspect he may have died 25 years ago.
The mum of missing Sheffield toddler Ben Needham has been told to "prepare for the worst'' by detectives who suspect he may have died 25 years ago.
Investigators on the Greek island where the 21-month-old vanished believe he may have been crushed to death by a digger, Kerry Needham said.
Forensics teams are reportedly set to begin excavating at two sites close to where Ben was last seen as he played near his grandparents' home on Kos.
The potential breakthrough came after a friend of a digger driver said he believes the workman may have been responsible, according to the Daily Mirror.
The driver reportedly died of stomach cancer last year, just months before a South Yorkshire Police team arrived on the island for a renewed investigation.
According to the paper, it's understood the friend said the death was accidental.
Kerry has always hoped she would one day be reunited with her son.
But her worst fears appeared to be confirmed during a recent visit by officers.
She told the newspaper: What they had to tell me was the last thing they would have ever wanted to. They think my Ben could be dead and buried.
They are no longer looking for a missing person. How do I cope with that? My mother's instinct has always told me he was alive. What if I've been wrong all this time?''
Ben disappeared from outside Kerry's parents' home on the island on July 24 1991.
Detectives are said to have carried out initial inquiries at the site, with experts testing soil and surveying the site with drones.
Kerry said a dig at the site in 2012 was carried out in a bid to rule out that an accident had taken place and move the probe on as a missing person's enquiry.
However, in light of the latest possible breakthrough, she thinks detectives suspect an accident may have taken place.
After spending 25 years tirelessly searching for her son Ms Needham said she fears dying of shock and heartbreak'' should Ben's remains be found.
She said: I have spent all these years desperately hoping for that fairytale ending and for Ben to walk through that door.
Now the horrible reality is Ben could be dead and he could have been dead all these years.''