This latest picture of Ben Needham has been released to mark his 18th birthday on 29 October. He disappearance from the Greek island of Kos 16 years ago when he was just 21 months old. He looks a fine young man.

The picture was made at the request of Ben’s mother Kerry Grist, from Sheffield, and produced by facial identity experts from the Metropolitan Police who used photographs, including those of members of his family when they were the age he is now.

Kerry said:

“It was heart-wrenching when I saw the picture, but hopefully it will help bring us together again.

“All I want is to see Ben again so he knows the truth. I want him to know that I am his mother and he wasn’t abandoned or anything like that.

“I want him to know how we parted and how I have spent all this time looking for him. He is a young man and I can’t imagine what sort of life he will be leading.

“He will be old enough to make up his own mind about his future. I suppose I have no legal right over him, but at least he will know who is real mum is and if he wants to be part of my life again that would be absolutely wonderful.”

On the day of his disappearance, Ben had been left in the care of his grandparents who lived on the island while his mother went to work at a local hotel. They were planning to move there too. Ben had been playing near the doorway of the family’s farmhouse as the adults were having lunch and his grandmother had only taken her eyes off him for a few minutes when it was discovered he was gone, sometime around half past two in the afternoon.

The family first searched the area for Ben, assuming he had wandered off or their teenage son Stephen had taken him out on his moped but, when no trace of him was found, the police were notified. They extensively questioned the Needhams, holding them as prime suspects, and delayed in informing airports and docks of Ben’s disappearance and widening their search for the child. A shop assistant had seen Ben on the evening of his disappearance with an older boy, but this lead was not followed up until it was too late to trace them.

You can read the countless heart rending efforts made by Ben’s family to trace him here . They have never given up hope of seeing him again and believe he is still alive. They think he was “taken to order“, passing through the hands of child smuggling gangs and could be “anywhere in the world”.

I can’t imagine a more cruel fate for a mother, to lose a child in these terrible circumstances and know that most likely he is unaware of your existence.

In memory of those who are still missing.