Sadly this photo does NOT mean Leah Croucher has been found, say police in Milton Keynes

The photo was taken in Manchester and shows a homeless woman whose features bear a resemblance to Leah's.

She is said to have asked a passer-by to take her photo, urging him: "Please tell my mum that I'm okay."

Over the past week the picture has been widely shared on social media, with people excited that there could at last be a clue in the two year mystery of Leah's disappearance.

But now local police have announced the photo is definitely not Leah.

"Officers have been made aware of this photo previously in the course of the investigation. Enquiries have been undertaken and the investigation team are satisfied that the person in the photo is not Leah," said a spokesman.

But they have thanked the public and encouraged them to keep sending any potential sightings of Leah or any information about where she might be.

"We are grateful for their continued reports regarding this investigation. Each report received is assessed and investigated accordingly," said the spokesman.

"The investigation into finding Leah Croucher remains open, and anyone who has information that could lead to the force locating her is asked to contact 101 quoting reference number 43190049929, or Operation Dawlish," he added.

The Citizen can reveal the homeless woman in the Manchester photograph is called Lisa and was first published on social media in January 2019 - the month before Leah vanished.

The Citizen saw it and investigated it very early in the Leah investigation.

At the time we contacted the Locating The Missing community group, who stated: "We have been informed this female's name is Lisa."

Poignantly, they added: "Her mother got the message and wishes to not have contact with her at this time."