Author Topic: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.  (Read 6672 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline John

Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« on: January 06, 2015, 07:20:31 PM »
Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search

The Home Office has confirmed it will fund further investigations into the disappearance of Ben Needham, who disappeared in 1991. Ben, from Sheffield, vanished aged 21 months old while on holiday on the Greek island of Kos.



www.itv.com/news/story/2015-01-06/home-office-to-fund-further-investigations-into-the-disappearance-of-ben-needham/
« Last Edit: January 06, 2015, 07:27:02 PM by John »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2015, 07:33:35 PM »
Home Office agrees to fund search for Ben Needham

Family of toddler who went missing on Kos, Greece more than 20 years ago wants leads and possible sightings investigated.



The Home Office has agreed to fund a team of British detectives to help search for toddler Ben Needham who went missing in Greece more than 20 years ago.

Ben, from Sheffield, vanished on 24 July 1991 after travelling to the Greek island of Kos with his mother and grandparents.

Over the years there have been a number of possible sightings and a range of theories about what happened to the youngster, who would now be 25.

South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner Alan Billings today said his force had secured special funding from the Home Office to allow British detectives to “continue to support the Greek authorities in the search for Ben Needham”.

Ben’s family have said they want South Yorkshire police to investigate leads, including a file they have handed in that lists eight separate sightings from unconnected people of a boy who could potentially be Ben with the same Greek family.

The Home Office backed a South Yorkshire Police operation in 2012 when land was excavated on Kos, near the farmhouse from where Ben went missing. No trace of the boy was found.

Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick, who led the 2012 investigation, said: “Ben was a very young child when he went missing.

“His family has endured untold pain and anguish in the years that followed and have never given up in trying to find him.

“South Yorkshire Police has provided support to the Greek authorities wherever requested in assisting with the investigation.

“We hope that by continuing to work with them, we can assist in providing the answers Ben’s family so desperately want.

“We will now take time to establish the right investigation team, with a view to the inquiry commencing in April.”

Last year, South Yorkshire Police asked the Home Office for Special Grant Funding to follow up information the family – led by Ben’s mother Kerry, 42, and sister Leighanna, 20 – believe has never been properly investigated.

Ben’s family engaged a human rights barrister, Ian Brownhill, who spotted their plight on their campaigning Twitter feed and offered his services for free.

Some commentators have contrasted Ben’s family’s position with the extensive Metropolitan police resources devoted to investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal in 2007.

Billings said he had received a letter from the Home Office confirming the special funding.

He said: “Ben’s mum, Kerry, has spent more than 23 years searching for her son. I fully support South Yorkshire police in their ongoing pursuit of the facts.

“They have worked hard in facilitating the Greek authorities’ investigation into Ben’s disappearance but there is still more work to do. This will be made easier with this additional funding, which will allow further lines of inquiry to be explored.

“Along with the chief constable, I remain committed to finding Ben. I’m pleased that the Home Office saw fit to support us in this commitment and have agreed to provide additional funding which will allow South Yorkshire police to further their investigations into the disappearance of Ben.”

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/06/home-office-funds-ben-needham-search
« Last Edit: January 06, 2015, 07:37:01 PM by John »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline Anna

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2015, 07:36:49 PM »
Fantastic News.
I hope some good news will come very soon from the investigation . 25 years is along time to wait!
“You should not honour men more than truth.”
― Plato

Offline John

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2015, 07:38:30 PM »
Fantastic News.
I hope some good news will come very soon from the investigation . 25 years is along time to wait!

Yes absolutely Anna, just goes to show what can be achieved by people power.   8((()*/
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline Anna

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2015, 07:43:21 PM »
Yes absolutely Anna, just goes to show what can be achieved by people power.   8((()*/

The family must be so relieved and their love so strong too. People power, as you say John, does pay off sometimes
  ?{)(** 8@??)(
“You should not honour men more than truth.”
― Plato

Offline Holly Goodhead

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2015, 10:55:27 PM »
Heard it on the News at Ten.  Hope the funding can provide some answers.
Just my opinion of course but Jeremy Bamber is innocent and a couple from UK, unknown to T9, abducted Madeleine McCann - motive unknown.  Was J J murdered as a result of identifying as a goth?

Offline John

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2015, 09:55:05 AM »
'Handpicked team' to investigate Ben Needham leads

The mother of missing Ben Needham says new Home Office funding will allow South Yorkshire Police to send a "handpicked team" of officers to investigate his disappearance.

Kerry Needham told Good Morning Britain that she hoped the money, thought to be around £600,000, would help resolve "unanswered questions" and follow leads given to officers by the Needham family.

She revealed that private investigations has identified a family in Greece who could have been involved in the abduction of her son but that they were unable to take the enquiries any further without police assistance.

The file was then passed to South Yorkshire Police who decided that it warranted a full investigation.  They in turn applied to the Home Office for funding which would allow them to investigate it further with the assistance of the Greek Police.




www.itv.com/news/calendar/update/2015-01-07/handpicked-team-to-investigate-ben-needham-leads/
« Last Edit: January 07, 2015, 10:14:15 AM by John »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2015, 12:33:05 PM »
Ben Needham's mum over the moon with extra search fund but still angry over delays.


6 January 2015

Home Office has finally agreed to provide South Yorkshire Police with funding to investigate the case of the Ben who went missing at 21-months-old.



The mother of missing Ben Needham is “over the moon” after police were granted extra funds to search for her son - but blasted the Government for taking too long.

The Home Office has finally agreed to provide South Yorkshire Police with funding to investigate the case of the Ben who went missing at 21-months-old.

The police had asked for more funds a year ago to help them investigate new leads into his disappearance from the Greek island of Kos in 1991.

They were finally told on Tuesday they would be granted the cash.

Kerry Needham, 43, from Sheffield has spent 23 years searching for her son and described the funding news as “bitter sweet.”


www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ben-needhams-mum-over-moon-4930261
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline John

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2015, 12:17:57 PM »
Can anyone explain why the British Government has seen fit to spend over £10 million on the search for Madeleine McCann yet a measly £700k on the search for Ben Needham?

And all this yet the cases of other missing children receive no funding whatsoever.
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline sadie

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #9 on: June 14, 2015, 11:29:54 PM »
Can anyone explain why the British Government has seen fit to spend over £10 million on the search for Madeleine McCann yet a measly £700k on the search for Ben Needham?

And all this yet the cases of other missing children receive no funding whatsoever.
Maybe the enquiry is completelly dead.  No leads what-so-ever?

If anything is found, then my expectation would be that the Government would increase the funding to investigate further.  Let's hope so.


Altho some people are in denial about it, there are lots of potential leads in the Madeleine case, plus a host that few know about.

Offline Brietta

Re: Govt to provide £700K to Ben Needham search.
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2016, 04:25:50 PM »
Extra £450k Pledged To Find Missing Ben Needham

As the 25th anniversary of the boy's disappearance in Greece approaches, police hope to achieve a resolution "one way or another".
00:15, UK,
Wednesday 16 March 2016


South Yorkshire Police have been given £450,000 by the Government to fund the search for Ben Needham, the toddler who went missing in Greece almost 25 years ago.

The force had been granted £700,000 by the Home Office last January to commit further resources to the investigation, but that money would have run out by the end of this month.

Alan Billings, South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, has said the latest instalment will allow work to continue until October - enabling the team "to be strengthened with experienced detectives who will follow up new leads".

Ben was 21 months old when he disappeared on 24 July 1991 after travelling to the Greek island of Kos with his mother and grandparents.

He would now be 26 years old, and there have been several possible sightings and a plethora of theories about what happened to the youngster.

"I fully support South Yorkshire Police in their ongoing pursuit of the facts," Dr Billings said.

"They have worked hard in facilitating the Greek authorities' investigation into Ben's disappearance. They have unearthed many new witnesses and have been able to rule out other lines of inquiry.

"Along with the Chief Constable, I remain committed to finding Ben. We remain hopeful that this will lead to a resolution one way or another."

His mother, Kerry Needham, had said: "Please end the pain my family are suffering. I know he's out there somewhere, please call the detectives and put an end to it."

During the broadcast, she described the heartbreak she had felt when DNA tests carried out on young men who had come forward to the police were unsuccessful.

In 2012, land was excavated near the farmhouse where Ben vanished, but no trace of the little boy was found.

The Home Office's Special Grant Funding was first requested by South Yorkshire Police in order to follow up leads that Ben's family believed had never been properly investigated.
http://news.sky.com/story/1660576/extra-450k-pledged-to-find-missing-ben-needham
"All I'm going to say is that we've conducted a very serious investigation and there's no indication that Madeleine McCann's parents are connected to her disappearance. On the other hand, we have a lot of evidence pointing out that Christian killed her," Wolter told the "Friday at 9"....

Offline Holly Goodhead

Just my opinion of course but Jeremy Bamber is innocent and a couple from UK, unknown to T9, abducted Madeleine McCann - motive unknown.  Was J J murdered as a result of identifying as a goth?