Leah Croucher: 'Potential sightings' after one-year anniversary appeal

A £10,000 reward has been offered for information about Leah Croucher's disappearance

Sightings of a woman who disappeared a year ago have been reported across the UK, police investigating her disappearance have said.

Leah Croucher was 19 when she vanished while walking to work in Milton Keynes on 15 February 2019.

Despite extensive searches, media appeals and a £10,000 reward there have been no leads.

Thames Valley Police said it had "20 new reports of information or potential sightings" since an anniversary appeal.

A spokesman for the force said: "The potential sightings are from various areas across the UK.

"All are being assessed and investigated accordingly but at this time none of them are a confirmed sighting of Leah or confirmed report of her location."

Police previously released images of boots and the "distinctive" hoodie Leah Croucher was wearing

Leah was last seen by her parents at their home in Quantock Crescent at 22:00 GMT on 14 February 2019.

Earlier in the evening she told them she was meeting a friend, but police said that was not the case and have appealed for information on where she was between 18:00 and 19:15.

CCTV showed her walking down Buzzacott Lane in Furzton, believed to be in the direction of her work, at about 08:15 the next day.

Three people reported possible sightings near Furzton Lake between 09:30 and 11:15.

All three described her as being on her phone and two said they saw a female who was visibly angry, upset and crying.

John Croucher said he was aware of "someone who knows something and is hiding it"

At a police news conference last month regarding the anniversary appeal, Ms Croucher's father John Croucher said he believed a man was hiding key information about his daughter's disappearance.

The Taekwondo instructor said the "selfish person" needed to come forward as the situation was "destroying the family".

Ms Croucher's brother, Haydon Croucher, died in hospital on 16 November - the day after the nine-month anniversary of his sister going missing.

The 24-year-old was said to have found the disappearance of his sister "very difficult".

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Det Ch Insp Andy Howard previously said he thought there were friends or associates of Ms Croucher who "potentially hold more information about Leah's life than they are willing to share with the police so far".

But he suggested he was less sure those people would also know why she had disappeared.

Anyone with information about Ms Croucher should contact Thames Valley Police.