ITV's This Morning show refuses to help with appeal for missing Milton Keynes girl Leah Croucher

Leah's sister Jade emailed the This Morning crew at ITV to ask if they could put out a plea for information about Leah on their huge social media platform.

But she received a reply saying: “Unfortunately this is not something we can do.”

The email then gave details of the Missing Persons helpline – the charity for whom grateful Jade has already raised almost £4,000 since Leah disappeared seven months ago.

This week 26-year-old Jade slammed the This Morning response as cold and appalling.

She sent them a reply stating: “Your email shows a complete lack of compassion and care.”

It added; “Since Leah went missing we do not only have to deal with the pain every day of imagining what may have happened to her, but we also have to battle tirelessly to get the awareness that she needs and deserves.

“We then have to deal with constant rejection from people and companies who are completely unwilling to help.”

The Citizen approached This Morning and ITV planners for a comment on Friday. We are still awaiting their reply.

Meanwhile, Leah's desperate family are urging people to sign a petition launched to persuade national TV channels to give publicity to the search.

It states: "National coverage again may prompt someone, somewhere, to end the agony and confess what has happened to the home-loving, sweet-natured Milton Keynes girl."

Already the petition had been signed by more than 4,800 people. You can sign it online here.

Leah, who was 20 last month, vanished while walking from her Emerson Valley home to work on the morning of February 15. Her phone was switched off and her bank account has not been used.

Her parents John and Clare are convinced she did not run away, saying there was nothing in her previous behaviour to indicate that she was unhappy or planning such a momentous move.

Her routine that morning was exactly as normal, they say.

Despite extensive police investigations, there has been no confirmed sighting of Leah since she disappeared. But they are convinced that somebody, somewhere must know what happened to her and where she is.

Jade said: “For the past 7 months my family and I have campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness in the hope that someone, somewhere has information on where Leah may be or what could have happened to her. I cannot express to you how difficult this has been.”

She added: “We are not afraid to admit that we do desperately need help. Alone we cannot raise the awareness that Leah deserves. This is why I reach out to This Morning hoping that their huge platform could help us.

“To receive such a cold email in response is shocking to say the least. They are clearly only interested in helping if it is of benefit to them. They do not care about what people are going through, they show no emotion towards a family begging for help. I am disgusted.”

Anybody with information can leave information via Thames Valley Police's dedicated website for this investigation here.

Or you can call police 101 or visit a police station, quoting investigation number 43190049929.

If people wish to stay anonymous, they can call Crimestoppers free on 0800 555 111.