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Ben Needham: Kos excavations halted after ancient graves found
Ben Needham: Kos dig interrupted after ancient graves found
(about 1 hour later)
The search for toddler Ben Needham has been halted after the owner of the site raised concerns about the large-scale dig which has unearthed an ancient burial site.
The search for toddler Ben Needham on the Greek island of Kos has resumed after the owner of the land being excavated raised concerns about the dig, which has unearthed an ancient burial site.
Teams of archaeologists and police officers have been meticulously digging on the site on the Greek island of Kos, hoping to find clues to the disappearance of the 21-month-old. However, on Friday morning, the land owner and his lawyer reportedly asked teams to stop.
The landowner, Stefanos Troumouhis, was reportedly concerned he would not be able to farm the land if it was deemed a site of archaeological interest.
Detectives said they were approached by the owner of the farmland, Stefanos Troumouhis, about the discovery of suspected ancient tombs there.
Troumouhis is reportedly concerned he will not be able to farm the land if it is deemed a site of archaeological interest.
Police said Troumouhis had asked them to stop the dig, but his concerns about the ancient tombs had been resolved and the search would continue as planned.
Forensic specialists and an archaeologist have been combing an arid stretch of farmland where the Sheffield toddler was playing a quarter of a century ago.
DI Jon Cousins, of South Yorkshire police, said the presence of the tombs would not interfere with the search, which was “back to normal”.
The excavation began after new evidence was found that Ben might have been killed and buried there, yards from where he vanished while his grandfather was renovating a property.
Forensic specialists and an archaeologist have been combing an arid stretch of farmland where 21-month-old Ben was playing a quarter of a century ago, in the hope of finding clues about his disappearance.
Police leading the hunt are now reportedly having to seek a “judicial authority” if permission to continue the search is refused.
Masses of soil has been excavated and experts have been working through the soil by hand looking for fragments of Ben’s clothes.
DI Jon Cousins of South Yorkshire police said: “I was approached yesterday on the 29th September by Troumouchis, the owner of the land on which we are currently conducting the search to find answers for Ben’s family and the people of Kos.
The excavation began after information was handed to police suggesting that the Sheffield toddler might have been crushed by a digger near a farmhouse his grandparents were renovating.
“He raised with me concerns about the discovery of what appear to be ancient tombs. So far I have not had any contact from the magistrate to say that we must stop conducting the important work we are doing onsite.
Konstantinos Barkas, also known as Dino, was clearing land with an excavator close to where Ben was playing on the day he vanished and may have inadvertently caused the death, a friend of the builder told police after a TV appeal in May.
“My priority is to ensure that disruption to the operation that my team are running remains at an absolute minimum. If magistrates’ permission is withdrawn, it will be my intention to seek immediate judicial authority to search this area of land.”
Barkas reportedly died of stomach cancer last year. His widow, Varvara, had strongly dismissed any suggestions he might have killed Ben.
However, the BBC is reporting that the search has been stopped and a video reportedly showing Cousins driving to court was posted on Twitter. South Yorkshire police have said that an official statement will be released at 2pm on Friday.
The excavation was briefly stopped on Thursday after search teams discovered 1,500-year-old graves at the site, but it was set to continue on Friday.
So far a septic tank has been unearthed and experts continue to examine decomposed materials.
Masses of soil has been excavated from where police believe the toddler may have been buried, with experts working through the soil by hand. They are also looking for fragments of Ben’s clothes.
The excavation comes after fresh information was handed to police suggesting that the toddler might have been crushed to death by a digger near a farmhouse his grandparents were renovating.
Konstantinos Barkas, also known as Dino, was clearing land with an excavator close to where Ben was playing on the day he vanished and may have inadvertently caused the death, a friend of the builder reportedly told police following a TV appeal in May.
The driver reportedly died of stomach cancer last year, months before detectives from South Yorkshire police arrived on the island for a renewed investigation.
Barkas’s widow, Varvara, strongly dismissed any suggestions her late husband had killed Ben in an accident.
