Leah Croucher: Reward in Milton Keynes missing teen case doubles to £20,000

The reward for information about a teenager who disappeared two years ago has doubled to £20,000 after a renewed appeal for donations.

Leah Croucher was 19 when she was last seen on CCTV on the morning of 15 February 2019 in Milton Keynes.

Despite extensive searches, no trace of her has been found and no-one has been arrested in connection with the case.

Police said they hoped the reward would "encourage anyone with the right piece of information to come forward".

Thames Valley Police also said it had received 20 reports of new information since the second anniversary last month.

Ms Croucher was last seen by her parents at the family home in Quantock Crescent at 22:00 GMT on 14 February.

Earlier that evening after returning from work at about 17:45, she went out, returning home again at about 19:15.

She had told her parents she was going out to meet a friend, but police later established that was not the case.

It is still not known where Ms Croucher went or whether she met anyone that evening.

The next day, CCTV showed Ms Croucher walking down Buzzacott Lane in Furzton - believed to be in the direction of her work - at 08:16, but she never arrived at work.

Following her disappearance, two anonymous donors offered a combined £10,000 reward.

Last month, police made a fresh appeal, leading to further donations and the doubling of the reward.

In a statement issued via the force, Ms Croucher's family said: "The kindness of strangers, willing to offer their own money to help us find the answers we desperately need, is humbling beyond words.

"Thank you is not a strong enough word to convey our gratitude."

Det Ch Insp Andy Howard said the new information was "being assessed in detail and investigated accordingly".

But he said the force "does not have a confirmed sighting of Leah since the day she was reported missing".

"Our investigation into Leah's disappearance remains open, and we are committed to finding her and bringing her back safely to her family," he added.

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