Ben vanished on 24 July 1991.

Police are investigating claims of a sighting of missing Ben Needham in the United States, ITV News understands.

Ben, from Sheffield, disappeared on the Greek island of Kos 34 years ago today, at the age of 21 months.

Despite one of the longest missing person investigations in British history – including two excavations at the farmhouse where he was last seen – his whereabouts remain unknown

Ben’s mother, Kerry Needham, has told ITV Calendar an email has been sent from the US containing claims that Ben was seen in the country at around the time he went missing.

She said South Yorkshire Police was looking into the claims, which date back about eight months.

She said: “This person has been spoken to at length. Investigations are still ongoing but it’s a really slow process, which is quite frustrating and painful for us – to have to sit back and wait for all the red tape from country to country.

“I’m well aware that it is a criminal investigation and obviously it has to be done correctly but I’m not quite sure why it has taken eight months just for an update on what the interview with this person was all about, what questions were asked, what answers were given.”

The farmhouse where Ben Needham went missing in Kos.Credit: ITV Calendar

Ben vanished on 24 July 1991, while he was playing outside a remote farmhouse which was being renovated by his grandfather Eddie.

His family, including Kerry’s parents and two brothers, had moved to Kos earlier in the year to start a new life.

There has been no sign of the toddler since. Two excavations around the farmhouse in 2012 and 2016 found no definitive proof of what happened.

Police concluded Ben had died in an accident involving a digger – a claim disputed by the driver’s family.

A number of people have since made unfounded claims that they could be Ben.

The latest email, seen by ITV Calendar, claims Ben was seen around 1991 or 1992 at a church in the US.

The sender wrote: “He was being dropped off to an elderly lady who was affiliated with the church [and] said he was meeting his grandmother for the first time.”

The email claims Ben was seen at a church. Parts of the email have been redacted at the request of Ben’s family.

It is understood South Yorkshire Police began a process of contacting authorities in the United States and interviewed the sender.

As Kerry marks the 34th anniversary of Ben’s diappearance, she said: “My opinion is that Ben could still be out there somewhere and somebody know exactly what happened and exactly where he is.

“Thirty-four years is a long time to live day to day. Obviously I’ve had my daughter and I have my grandchildren now and they keep me extremely busy.

“We will spend the day together and keep each other distracted and as happy as we possibly can be on that day. If someone had said to me back then when I was just 19 years old this is the situation I’ll be in, 34 years later, I would never have believed it. “

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said officers still believe Ben died on the day he went missing.

They added: “However, we remain absolutely committed to finding the answers that his family so desperately need and deserve. Until those answers are found, our investigation will remain open.

“We are often contacted by people who believe they may have seen Ben and we follow up on all reasonable lines of enquiry. Whilst South Yorkshire Police has no jurisdiction in Greece, we continue to provide any support necessary to our Greek counterparts.”