German river body not missing Sheffield boy Ben Needham - police

Ben Needham went missing on the Greek island of Kos in July 1991 when he was 21 months old

The body of a child found in a river in Germany is not that of missing boy Ben Needham, police have confirmed.

Ben, from Sheffield, was 21 months old when he disappeared on the Greek island of Kos in July 1991.

Last month, an Interpol appeal was issued to help identify the body of a boy who had been found in the River Danube in May 2022.

South Yorkshire Police has now confirmed a DNA sample from the body did not match the toddler's DNA.

A force spokesperson said Ben's family had been informed and was being supported by officers.

"Our thoughts remain with the young boy who is yet to be identified and, of course, the Needham family who continue in their search for answers," they said.

In its earlier appeal, international police organisation Interpol said the boy whose body was found in the Danube was believed to be aged between five and six.

His body had been found wrapped in foil and weighed down with a flagstone slab in the state of Bavaria, according to Interpol.