Police looking for Leah Croucher, 19, who has been missing since February begin search of Blue Lagoon lake after someone spotted a grey hooded top in the water
- Leah Croucher went missing after heading to work in Milton Keynes in February
- John and Clare Croucher were at the Blue Lagoon as the operation began today
- Member of the public spotted a grey hooded top in the water, prompting search
- Leah was wearing a grey ‘Stewartby’ taekwondo hoodie last time she was seen
The parents of missing Leah Croucher watched on today as police began searching a Blue Lagoon lake eight months after the 19-year-old disappeared.
John and Clare Croucher were at the Blue Lagoon in Bletchley, Milton Keynes as officers began an operation that could last up to ten days.
It comes after a member of the public described spotting a grey hooded top in the water.
Leah was wearing a distinctive grey ‘Stewartby’ taekwondo hoodie with a colourful logo at the time she went missing.
Police combing the Blue Lagoon lake in Bletchley, Milton Keynes in the search for missing teenager Leah Croucher
The new update in the search for Leah comes after a member of the public described spotting a grey hooded top in the water
Leah was wearing a distinctive grey ‘Stewartby’ taekwondo hoodie with a colourful logo at the time she went missing
Last month, Chelsea football club captain Cesar Azpilicueta tweeted about Leah’s disappearance, asking for help finding her.
She was last seen by her parents on the evening of February 14 after she told them she had been going to see a friend.
Leah was then seen again on CCTV the day after, heading to work in Milton Keynes, but has not been seen since.
Last week, her mother said she ‘just wants her daughter’s body back’ so their family can grieve.
There was been a widespread effort to find Leah involving a poster and social media campaign and a £5,000 reward for information and appeal on Crimewatch.
She was last seen in Furzton, Milton Keynes just after 8.15am and was walking towards work.
Today, a specialist team on a boat with a camera scoured the water, a helicopter was flown overhead and officers with poles searched the shallow areas of the Blue Lagoon, an 18 metre deep lake where two people drowned in 2014.
Officers searching the lake. There was been a widespread effort to find Leah after her disappearance in February
The search is being carried out by specialist police search officers supported by an underwater search team from Specialist Group International
The activity is expected to take a number of days and members of the public can expect to see a police presence in the area during this time
Thames Valley Police said the search follows information received from a member of the public who has described seeing an item of clothing in that location, a grey hooded top that police believe may be linked to Leah.
The search is being carried out by search officers supported by an underwater search team from Specialist Group International.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Andy Howard, said: ‘We are continuing to appeal for information regarding Leah’s movements and whereabouts on 14th and 15th February.
‘I would like to remind people of the distinctive grey ‘Stewartby’ taekwondo hoody with a colourful logo that Leah was wearing at the time she went missing.
‘This search activity is in response to a specific piece of information and could take up to 10 days to complete.
The 19-year-old’s mother Clare, (left) said there ‘must be someone’ who knows where her daughter is – as she and her husband watched searchers today
This is the last CCTV image of Leah who disappeared the day after Valentine’s day
‘I would request that the privacy of Leah’s family is continued to be respected at this time.
‘The Blue Lagoon is a popular public area and if anybody has any information that they believe may be relevant to Leah’s disappearance they will be able to speak to police officers in the area over the coming days.
‘Anyone who believes they have information that could assist us is asked to contact Thames Valley Police by calling 101 and quoting reference 43190049929 or Operation Dawkins.’
Earlier, it was revealed that Leah had lied to her parents about where she went for 75 minutes on Valentine’s night.
Leah, 19, disappeared the next day on her way to work in Milton Keynes. Her mobile phone and bank account have not been used since.
Three witnesses reported that a female that could possibly have been Leah was seen by Furzton Lake, another lake in the city on 15 February, between 9.30am and 11.15am.
She was reported as being ‘angry, upset and crying’.
A search of that lake was carried out but nothing was found.
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