- Title: Fabric found at excavation site for missing British toddler
- Date: 27th September 2016
- Summary: KOS, GREECE (SEPTEMBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF INVESTIGATORS USING SIEVE TO SIFT THROUGH DIRT VARIOUS OF INVESTIGATORS RAKING THE GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE DETECTIVE INSPECTOR, JON COUSINS, SAYING: "What I'm pleased to say is that the depth that we need to go down to is a little bit less that what we thought initially, it's about 30 to 40 centimetres, which hopefully is going to speed up some of the process that we need to do. That, however, might change as we move through the field, depending on the depth of the plough area as we go through. But so far, it is going better than to plan, which I'm pleased about." VARIOUS OF INVESTIGATORS RAKING DIRT BEHIND POLICE TAPE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE DETECTIVE INSPECTOR, JON COUSINS, SAYING: "We found, as expected, a vast number of bones yesterday. Each one was examined immediately and every single one was discounted as being an animal bone there and then, at the time. There are some other items of slight interest which we found yesterday. The odd piece of fabric. That is being analysed and being looked at. That is going to take a little bit of time to do, but slight interest is the point in relation to that at the moment. Every single item that we found, and those of you that were here yesterday saw the fingertip search that was taking place, everything is being carefully looked at and we're working through the same process again today." VARIOUS OF BULLDOZER MOVING BULLDOZER EMPTYING DIRT ONTO BACK OF TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE DETECTIVE INSPECTOR, JON COUSINS, SAYING: "That's right. They've been properly collected, forensically collected, in the best way possible. They've been photographed. Those images have been sent back to the UK for people to have a look at, and when I say it is of slight interest, it is of slight interest. They are pieces of fabric and clearly we want to make sure: do they or do they not relate to any of the items that Ben may have been wearing on that day." VARIOUS OF BULLDOZER DIGGING AND CARRYING DIRT BULLDOZER EMPTYING DIRT ONTO TRUCK
- Embargoed: 12th October 2016 10:43
- Keywords: Needham Kos island toddler crime police South Yorkshire
- Location: KOS, GREECE
- City: KOS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA00151CE9MV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: British police, searching for missing British toddler, Ben Needham, say they have uncovered scraps of fabric "of slight interest" at an excavation site on the Greek island of Kos.
A team of forensics experts started their second day of the dig on Tuesday (September 27), sifting through mounds of earth with bulldozers, rakes and shovels at a field near where the toddler disappeared 25 years ago.
Detective Inspector Jon Cousins of the South Yorkshire Police said the work was running ahead of schedule and that several items had been uncovered.
"We found, as expected, a vast number of bones yesterday. Each one was examined immediately and every single one was discounted as being an animal bone there and then, at the time. There are some other items of slight interest which we found yesterday. The odd piece of fabric. That is being analysed and being looked at," he said.
He said the police want to identify whether the fabric related to any items the toddler was wearing on the day he disappeared.
British police have expressed optimism after saying they had new leads in the decades-old case.
They said they would focus their attention on two sites close to where Ben was last seen on July 24, 1991.
The search for Ben, who was 21 months old when he vanished from outside a country farmhouse where his mother Kerry and grandparents were staying and carrying out renovations, is one of Britain's longest running missing person inquiries.
A previous dig in 2012, as well as the DNA testing of young men of similar age and looks, have not borne any results. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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