Re: The Mystery of Ben Needham

poster Wed 11 May 2016, 10:51 pm

seahorse wrote:
chirpyinsect wrote:
Satsuma wrote:Why is everybody on here so convinced that BN was abducted? There's no proof, or even evidence

I voted for your third option which was something unexplained happened to both children, so not everyone is convinced.

That's the 4th option. Hence the confusion.

This is what Satsuma posted (I've numbered them for clarity):

1. Both abducted
2. MM abducted, something else happened to BN
3. BN abducted, something else happened to MM
4. Something else happened to both of them

I go with option 4 as well.

The UK police must know what really happened in both cases, imo. And I wonder if this latest news about more funding is a 'fishing' exercise to find out if the public are suspicious?

Given how few members of the public now appear to believe the McCanns.

I think the cases are very different...but nevertheless it is pretty scandalous that the police are funding searches when I believe they know what happened.

Andrew Wed 11 May 2016, 11:15 pm

dogs don't lie Thu 12 May 2016, 12:01 am

Holy sh#t?!?

Inca Thu 12 May 2016, 12:03 am

What the !!!! Shocked

Satsuma Thu 12 May 2016, 8:23 am

Why on earth are they questioning people in Kos? The answers are probably in the UK
A charade....
S Yorks and BN
S Yorks and Cliff

Andrew Thu 12 May 2016, 8:29 am

An article about it in the DM.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3585616/Return-Sunshine-Squad-Booze-ice-cream-British-cops-Kos-1m-hunt-missing-Ben-Needham.html

I think the media as usual are making this are exaggerating this non-story.

Surely these coppers are allowed to go out for a meal and a couple of beers in there free time... And surely they're allowed an ice-cream the next day too.

If they were sozzled, pictured staggering out of a club, or being sick or fighting then fair enough. Just looks like they're winding down in the eve.

Wasn't something similar said about the OG officers ages ago when they were also snapped having some down-time drinks...

seahorse Thu 12 May 2016, 8:29 am

What was Ben wearing on the day he disappeared? Can't find any info on it.

All there is, is that his shorts were hanging up to dry.

seahorse Thu 12 May 2016, 8:31 am

Andrew wrote:An article about it in the DM.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3585616/Return-Sunshine-Squad-Booze-ice-cream-British-cops-Kos-1m-hunt-missing-Ben-Needham.html

I think the media as usual are making this into a non-story.

Surely these coppers are allowed to go out for a meal and a couple of beers in there free time... And surely they're allowed an ice-cream the next day too.

If they were sozzled, pictured staggering out of a club, or being sick or fighting then fair enough. Just looks like they're winding down in the eve.

Wasn't something similar said about the OG officers ages ago when they were also snapped having some down-time drinks...

I agree Andrew. They can't be expected to work 24/7. Perhaps they should have been more discrete about it, they know what the press are like.

Andrew Thu 12 May 2016, 8:41 am

seahorse wrote:
Andrew wrote:An article about it in the DM.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3585616/Return-Sunshine-Squad-Booze-ice-cream-British-cops-Kos-1m-hunt-missing-Ben-Needham.html

I think the media as usual are making this into a non-story.

Surely these coppers are allowed to go out for a meal and a couple of beers in there free time... And surely they're allowed an ice-cream the next day too.

If they were sozzled, pictured staggering out of a club, or being sick or fighting then fair enough. Just looks like they're winding down in the eve.

Wasn't something similar said about the OG officers ages ago when they were also snapped having some down-time drinks...

I agree Andrew. They can't be expected to work 24/7. Perhaps they should have been more discrete about it, they know what the press are like.

Yeah probably not the wisest idea to have alcoholic beverages on show. You could argue that they could at least refrain from drinking alcohol for the duration out there and stick to the lemonades and orange juices.

But to begrudge them for having a meal and an ice-cream is just ridiculous.

Surprised there wasn't a picture of one of them applying some sun-cream with the headline 'Ben cop snapped sunbathing all day'.

Or maybe that's for tomorrow..

Satsuma Thu 12 May 2016, 8:49 am

S Yorks have made themselves unpopular re Hillsborough and the way the Cliff investigation has been managed, so the media are looking for ways to have a go at them. If they can show that the BN investigation is a serious attempt to work out what happened they may get some credibility back

There are remarkable similarities between the BN and MM cases. Some good discussion here: Ben

**Freedom** Thu 12 May 2016, 8:55 am

At least it's not just foreign police officers whom the British media regards as useless.

That's a good point Seahorse - what was Ben wearing when he disappeared? There's an interesting quote from his grandmother:

"Ben’s grandmother Christine told GMTV: “Stephen’s last image of Ben was him playing in shorts. But he was not wearing shorts, so I must have been the last to see him.

“Stephen was so brave to have to go through this and to be virtually accused...

“We are very upset about it.

“People have to see this (the documentary) before they jump to conclusions.”

I would hazard a guess that he may have just been wearing a nappy in the brief amount of time it would have taken the shorts to dry - but then again, who goes anywhere without a change of clothes for a small child?

Andrew Thu 12 May 2016, 8:56 am

https://twitter.com/FindBenNeedham/with_replies

It seems the Ben Needham family are not happy at all with the Sun's article.

Kerry to make a statement later today..

seahorse Thu 12 May 2016, 9:07 am

Freedom wrote:At least it's not just foreign police officers whom the British media regards as useless.

That's a good point Seahorse - what was Ben wearing when he disappeared? There's an interesting quote from his grandmother:

"Ben’s grandmother Christine told GMTV: “Stephen’s last image of Ben was him playing in shorts. But he was not wearing shorts, so I must have been the last to see him.

“Stephen was so brave to have to go through this and to be virtually accused...

“We are very upset about it.

“People have to see this (the documentary) before they jump to conclusions.”

I would hazard a guess that he may have just been wearing a nappy in the brief amount of time it would have taken the shorts to dry - but then again, who goes anywhere without a change of clothes for a small child?

Does anyone remember this story being publicised in 1991 in the UK newspapers? I can't find anything in newspaper archives and didn't live in the UK at the time.

Also this is on the Ben Needham website:

"Distinguishing Features

Ben had two very distinguishing features. These were his two birthmarks.

The first of these was a "Coffee Stain" type birthmark which is just above his right knee. Unless he had some sort of surgery to remove it, he would still have this birthmark. His uncle has a birthmark just like it, and it is his uncle's knee that is pictured.

The second birthmark Ben had was a "Strawberry" type birthmark on the nape of his neck. However, it is likely that he may no longer have this mark as in the majority of people this fades over time. "

http://www.helpfindben.co.uk/birthmarks.html

I never head that before. Also his uncle has a birthmark just like it? Really? And in the same spot as well?

**Freedom** Thu 12 May 2016, 9:13 am

i don't remember hearing about the birthmarks but there was some coverage in the British media within a few days (not a few hours as in a certain more recent case!) of the disappearance.

Satsuma Thu 12 May 2016, 9:15 am

There was loads of coverage, Seahorse, but it was all about abduction. The MM of its day. Everybody from that era knows about BN

Andrew Thu 12 May 2016, 9:38 am

Freedom - You've read the book (I think you mentioned)... Does it not give a detailed description in that of what Ben was wearing when he disappeared....

I can't find anything either about it apart from he wasn't wearing his shorts.

I get the impression he wasn't wearing anything but nobody wanted to confirm this for whatever reason.

**Freedom** Thu 12 May 2016, 9:40 am

Satsuma: the original rapid blanket coverage of the McCann case - which continues to this day - shows how different it is from any other missing child case.

I certainly have never forgotten Ben's name and, when Madeleine first was reported missing, I wondered if she would be like Ben - i.e. never found.

The one case which was never covered at the time - not to my recollection anyway - is that of Katrice Lee who disappeared on her 2nd birthday from a supermarket in Germany.

As the mother of a then 3 year old who had gone missing briefly on a few occasions, I'm sure that I would have remembered hearing about the case if it had been publicised.

Andrew: I don't still have the book and can't recall what if anything was said about Ben's clothes.

seahorse Thu 12 May 2016, 9:47 am

Thanks Satsuma and Freedom. I would like to read the initial stories that came out in the press. Will see if they are available in my local library. I've reserved Kerry Needham's book, so hopefully I can read it soon.

Andrew Thu 12 May 2016, 9:57 am

seahorse wrote:Thanks Satsuma and Freedom. I would like to read the initial stories that came out in the press. Will see if they are available in my local library. I've reserved Kerry Needham's book, so hopefully I can read it soon.

You can read parts of it here.. Well the first 10 chapters.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nSOyiRaQTyQC&dq=ben+needham&q=

Andrew Thu 12 May 2016, 10:34 am

https://twitter.com/FindBenNeedham/with_replies

Kerry's statement..

https://www.facebook.com/helpfindben/photos/a.168569909838092.40923.166769390018144/1250086341686438/?type=1&theater

The solicitors letter..

Satsuma Thu 12 May 2016, 10:38 am

seahorse wrote:Thanks Satsuma and Freedom. I would like to read the initial stories that came out in the press. Will see if they are available in my local library. I've reserved Kerry Needham's book, so hopefully I can read it soon.

It was all over TV and radio too... Freedom says it took a few days to surface (I didn't remember that) but when it broke it was everywhere. And went on for weeks, maybe months. But not as sensational at the way MM was reported, after all it was two decades ago. As I recall, all the stories were about him probably being taken to live with another family. No other theories that I can remember, the uncle stuff came later

**candyfloss** Thu 12 May 2016, 10:52 am

Andrew wrote:https://twitter.com/FindBenNeedham/with_replies

Kerry's statement..

https://www.facebook.com/helpfindben/photos/a.168569909838092.40923.166769390018144/1250086341686438/?type=1&theater

The solicitors letter..

The Mystery of Ben Needham - Page 6 CiPp14DW0AAEj9P

seahorse Thu 12 May 2016, 10:53 am

Andrew wrote:
seahorse wrote:Thanks Satsuma and Freedom. I would like to read the initial stories that came out in the press. Will see if they are available in my local library. I've reserved Kerry Needham's book, so hopefully I can read it soon.

You can read parts of it here.. Well the first 10 chapters.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nSOyiRaQTyQC&dq=ben+needham&q=

Thanks, read some of it.

Mark Williams-Thomas (who's he again?) sticking his oar in. Bitter man imo.

https://twitter.com/mwilliamsthomas/with_replies

**candyfloss** Thu 12 May 2016, 10:53 am

ITV Report

12 May 2016 at 6:14am

Ben Needham case: Police recalled over 'drinking' in Kos

The Mystery of Ben Needham - Page 6 Stream_img

<img alt="Ben Needham was two when he went missing in Kos 25 years ago. " src="http://news.images.itv.com/image/file/978445/article_update_img.jpg" />
Ben Needham was two when he went missing in Kos 25 years ago. Credit: PA
A senior police officer working on the Ben Needham case in Kos has been summoned back to the UK after claims some of the team went on an eight-hour drinking session.
South Yorkshire Police are investigating a report in The Sun that officers spent the evening drinking hours after launching a £1 million mission to solve Ben's disappearance.
The toddler went missing while on holiday with his mum and grandma on the Greek island in 1991.
Over the years there have been a number of sightings of Ben - who would now be 26 - but what happened to the youngster remains a mystery.
South Yorkshire Police have put up a £10,000 reward for in return for information leading to his whereabouts.
Before the team of 10 officers went out there, Ben's mother Kerry Needham said she had "every faith" in the force and described the detectives as "amazing".
Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick, one of the officers in charge in Kos, told The Sun last night the team were "working really hard".
He added: "We were up at seven this morning and we've got officers still out now (at 8.30pm) interviewing people. What I can say is that no public money was spent on alcohol."
A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "Following concerns raised regarding the behaviour of some of those involved, the senior officer has been recalled to the UK with immediate effect to provide the details of exactly what has happened. An internal investigation will follow."
Last updated Thu 12 May 2016

**candyfloss** Thu 12 May 2016, 10:56 am

Ben Needham ‏@FindBenNeedham · 1h1 hour ago

Investigators were NOT on duty and having a meal and drinks. This is now hindering our investigation if our lead man gets sent home !!!!!

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