THE mum of the latest missing Brit Benjamin Ross has landed in Majorca to kickstart a desperate hunt for her son.
Ben, 26, hasn’t been seen or heard from in more than a week after vanishing from the island’s capital Palma, sparking a desperate bid to find him.
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Ben moved to the sun-soaked island in June for a break from law studies.
A budding barrister from Greater Manchester, he flew to Majorca to see a friend but decided to extend his stay to catch a break from the pressures of law studies.
Ben, 26, hasn’t been seen or heard from since July 10.
His last contact with his mum was a “peculiar” email indicating his mental health declined after being robbed at the beach and then falling out with flatmates.
Now mum Felix has reached the Spanish holiday hotspot for a desperate door-to-door hunt on the Palma streets for her son.
The distraught mum will now meet the British Consulate in Spain to start a search operation along with cops.
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester police released a statement regarding the search of Ben, saying it had referred the family to the British consulate.
A spokesperson said: “On Saturday 13 July 2024 we received a report that a 26-year-old man from Wigan had travelled to Spain and stopped contact with his friends and family.
“We informed them that they should contact the British Consulate who would be able to assist them in the search for their loved one abroad.”
The Foreign Office meanwhile confirmed it was supporting Felix and her family.
A FCDO spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Spanish cops said they are urgently trying to track down the missing Brit, with a homicide unit leading the search.
A spokesman for the National Police in Majorca said: “We are aware of this disappearance and work is being done to try to locate this man.
“That’s all we can say at this present time.”
Homicide units are generally chosen to lead missing person cases in Spain.
However, Felix claims no Spanish cops have started to look for her missing son, despite reports suggesting a Spanish homicide unit was previously dispatched.
Felix pals said everything in Majorca is closed on a Sunday – and she is now visiting churches, the docks and anywhere else that might be open near where he went missing.
She added: “It doesn’t feel real. I’ve followed the procedure that’s on the Gov website, and I’ve begged them for help to get nowhere.
“I’m so worried about him right now, if they had done what they were supposed to in the beginning there’s a chance we could have found him by now.
“But to fob this off without justification is incredibly distressing. I can’t really put it into words about how I’m feeling.
“My son is still my son, regardless of his age, he’s only 26 and I’m going out of my mind with worry. I just want to find him, see he’s ok and give him the biggest hug.
“So I’ve started the search myself, I’m going to everywhere that’s open today. The Churches, the docks, anywhere that’s open. If anyone has any information please let the authorities know.”
THE MYSTERY
On July 6, Ben set out to get a European work number – and was carrying all his important items including his identification, phone, wallet, iPad and keys to the apartment he was staying in.
After getting done with the process, he decided to go to a beach for a swim.
However, he discovered that his bag had been stolen when he returned.
The trainee barrister then tried getting back to his accommodation without a map and got lost.
While he managed to find his way back to his apartment, despite knocking on the door several times, his flatmates didn’t let him.
A distressed Ben then broke his way in, which sparked a row with his flatmates over the door damage.
Cops were allegedly called to the flat but decided Ben had no criminal case to answer because he’d offered to pay for the damage he inflicted by forcing his way in.
Felix says his flatmates then made clear their intentions to kick him out.
The mum then received a distressed email claiming to be from Ben from a new email address.
The cryptic email told her what had happened and that he was not interested in what happened next to him, which left Felix seriously concerned for her son.
She said Ben’s struggles might’ve led to him wanting to isolate himself, with her son battling with mental health in previous years.
Ben is known as a spiritual lad who takes inspiration from churches, books and historical monuments, so it’s hoped he could be finding solace in such areas.
But given he has no phone and no money, Felix is fearing the worst – particularly following the finding of Jay Slater’s body in Tenerife just days ago.
She has since been desperately trying to find her missing son.
Pals of Felix set up a GoFundMe page to help support her cover the costs of the search for her son.
Felix’s friend Carla Speight, who has been helping raise awareness over Ben’s disappearance, said the distraught mum is facing exorbitant costs and a lack of accommodation options amid the peak holiday season.
She added: “Felix will put every penny she has into finding her son, we know with the astronomical costs she won’t be eating and drinking properly.
“Right now she hasn’t even considered accommodation.
“As a single parent myself, I know I wouldn’t be eating or drinking and instead put that money into printing posters to hand out or put fuel in a hire car to drive round to the historical spots he might be at.”
Close friend Anne Marie O’Neill said mum-of-three Felix was the “most dedicated” mother she knew.
Anne said: “We just want to make sure our friend has a safe space to sleep and enough to get a hire car to find her son.
“In situations like this, no one has a backup plan for when a family member goes travelling.
“No one thinks this will happen to them, no one has a spare pot of cash lying around in case this horrendous nightmare happens to them.
“Getting support is incredibly difficult and we are just making sure she has everything she needs to stay safe and find Ben.”
The GoFundMe page has raised more than £2,400 as of July 21, with a target of £5000 set.
Felix said: “Like any mother, no matter what age your children are, they are still your children.
“I just need to know my son is safe and well. The last few days have been torture.
“Please, if anyone has seen Ben, even if it’s just for a second, let the authorities know. We need to find him.”
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