'Our beautiful girl deserves at least the dignity of a funeral,' says sister of Leah Croucher

Speaking out on the second anniversary of Leah's disappearance, Jade Croucher said she does not feel that Leah would ever have left her loved ones voluntarily.

Earlier, the police officer in charge of the case, DCI Andy Howard, had revealed his personal theory was that Leah went missing of her own accord. See Citizen story here .

Jade said: "I still do not feel the quiet shy girl that we knew personally could have chosen this."

DCI Howard also revealed that police were not ruling out suicide. But again the family do not believe this.

"Suicide being given as one option is confusing to me as I was unaware that you could hide your own body for two years," said Jade.

She added: "I don’t think I’ll ever understand any of this nightmare we are living. Two years have passed by and it is baffling how it has gone so fast yet feels so agonisingly slow.

"Often I am told that time is a great healer - but regardless of time you cannot heal with no answers. With so many unknowns, so much wonder and so much pain. How could you ever heal from your loved one going missing without a trace. Without a goodbye. Without an end.

"Sympathy starts to dwindle, attention to the case starts to get lost, leads stop being given to the police but our heartache still grows."

Jade described her family's "total state of desperation".

She said: "Two years ago we were told statistically Leah would be found soon and would be home. Were we silly for keeping that hope? Leah has never come home. She has never made contact with any other person at all (unless of course someone is hiding information). She has never touched any money in her bank account. Never sought medical advice for anything. Never rented a home in her name. Nothing.

"Leah did not drive, hence why she was walking to work on the day she went missing so how far could she have got without being seen on public transport? Train station cameras, bus cameras and taxis were all checked at the time with no evidence she had left Milton Keynes.

"Two years later and our questions remain the same. Despite one image on CCTV of Leah walking to work no more information has been given to us. We still desperately need people to help us find the missing piece to this cruel mystery.

"If nothing else we need Leah's body home at least so we get closure. Our beautiful girl deserves at least the dignity of a funeral."