Family of missing toddler Ben Needham seek DNA tests on mystery Greek girl

The family of a missing British toddler has called for DNA tests to be carried out on children found at Roma settlements - starting with the allegedly abducted little girl discovered earlier this week in Greece.

The sister of Ben Needham, a 21-month-old toddler who was abducted from his grandparents home on the island of Kos in 1991, said she wanted police to carry out an investigation based on her own DNA beginning at the encampment near Farsala.

The settlement is at the centre of an international appeal to find the parents of a four-year-old girl, known only as Maria, who police believe may have been abducted.

An officer looked into Marias case when he saw the blonde-haired and blue-eyed child living in squalid conditions with a Roma couple and 13 other children whom she looked nothing like.

DNA tests confirmed that she was not related to the 39-year-old man and 40-year-old woman with whom she lived, and the couple have now been arrested on abduction charges.

The case has sparked new hope for the Needhams, who say they were told at the time by police that there was no way their toddler could have been abducted by Roma groups.

Bens mother Kerry told ITV: My family and I are extremely delighted at the news that a four-year-old girl has been found in a gypsy camp in Larissa, Greece.

We have always believed that Ben's abduction was gypsy-related and have had a long ongoing inquiry in Larissa. We hope that the investigation into Ben's disappearance will now be looked at again.

Ben's sister LeighannaNeedham, who at 20 had not been born when he went missing, said the discovery of Maria in the gypsy camp was welcome news and said DNA tests could be used to find Ben or perhaps even his children.

It's given us great hope, she told Sky News yesterday.

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Family of missing toddler Ben Needham seek DNA tests on mystery Greek girl