'Someone MUST know something' says Milton Keynes father of Leah Croucher in heartbreaking video

The parents of Leah Croucher have made a heartbreaking video appeal for people to help find their missing daughter.

Released, today, in the third anniversary of Leah's disappearance, the video describes the nightmare they have been living since February 15 2019, when Leah inexplicably vanished while walking to work.

"It's actually getting harder," said Leah's mum Claire. "In the beginning it was difficult to tell myself that we were going to get a positive outcome. I had lots of people around me saying she's going to show up any minute and it's all going to be fine. Obviously three years down the line we're still totally unaware of what happened to her after 8.30am, when her phone when off for whatever reason.

"There's still so many unanswered questions and now there's actually more unanswered questions than there was originally, because we've had a lot longer to think...It's just soul destroying."

The Emerson Valley couple are convinced their daughter would never have disappeared voluntarily, leaving behind the family she loved.

"Someone must know something," said her dad John. "It's impossible for someone just to disappear off the face of the earth and no-one know...

"You just can't put it into words. Whoever you are, please let us know."

Fighting back tears, the couple urged people to look back on their phones and see if anything jogs their memory from the morning that Leah vanished.

Claire said: "From the feedback we've had from police, there are a lot of people that say a), they weren't aware that Leah has gone missing and b) they didn't want to waste the police time.... You're not wasting their time, they're just sat there by the phone waiting for people to call them with some information.

"We're so desperate for that person to pick up the phone, so don't ever think you're wasting the police time. They spend a lot of time and energy looking into every lead they get and eventually that lead has to be the correct tone that leads us to Leah. So please, pick up the phone and dial the number."

Claire continued: "I am trying to keep a little bit of hope in there that Leah's going to come home and we'll be able to have dinner again. And that's what's killing me, that little bit of hope... Because I can't move on."

John, visibly struggling, said: "I'm just completely broken...I can't put it into words. I really can't."

On people who post unkind theories about Leah on social media, he said: "They don't know us... we were a really close family. It's just people, the nastiness comes out.

"There are good people out there as well. There are some people who are genuine and are really trying to help. But you also get these people who want to focus on rubbish that just isn't true."

"We read everything," said Claire. "It's only in the past six months that I've stopped getting up and instantly pressing Google search to see if there is anything new. We've watched and read and listened to everything that is out there about our daughter."

The Crouchers have revealed that strangers even contact their family members with theories, stories, ideas and rumours.

"They find it particularly distressing to listen to those people and interact with them, and to have to call us and say 'are you aware that this is now happening?' said Claire.

"Some of the stories are extremely distressing and hurtful. They make us feel angry because generally the police can't find the person .. They delete their accounts - they're all fake profiles that are made up, particularly the speculation about Leah being pregnant. They were all fake profiles. made by the same person, who the police have found and spoken to. But it hasn't stopped them.

"I just think if you haven't got anything nice to say, then you shouldn't say anything at all really."

John said: "Please come forward. Tell the police, help them. Even if you think it's really stupid and minute, just tell them what you know. You may hold that vital piece of evidence they need to put this puzzle together."

Meanwhile, Leah's big sister Jade said: "No-one can take our pain away. No one can offer any comfort. No one can even give any real hope any more. Every day our desperation grows.

"Living a day of this nightmare is too much. Three years of it is cruel. It can never be underestimated the strength it has taken us to get through these three years. Moments where you feel yourself slipping into feeling sadder and sadder and having to pull yourself away from that. No one deserves the level of loss we have gone through."

She added: "I love you Leah and think of you with every single day that passes."

If you can do anything to ease the misery of Leah's family, please contact police right now by calling 101 and quoting reference number 43220059772​, or Operation Dawlish.

Information can also be left via the dedicated Leah website here. Or, if you do not want to be identified, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.