'We think police got it wrong' say parents of missing Milton Keynes woman Leah Croucher

They have spent 13 months urging police to speak to a key person in Leah's life at the time of her disappearance - and older man she seemed to be romantically involved with.

But the man, who was engaged to be married before Leah vanished, has since denied they were in a relationship.

Because he cannot be named for legal reasons, the MK Citizen will refer to him as Mr X.

Today Leah's dad John said: "Mr X is the only anomaly that was in Leah's life. The only thing she lied about. We feel information he may have is our only chance of finding her.

"We kept quiet because the police strongly advised us it was the right thing to do. They asked us to trust them. We have to finally and publicly admit we think they are wrong."

John says he and his wife Clare have provided police with "evidence" early on to prove 19-year-old Leah and Mr X were more than just good friends.

He said: "We worry that the police did not look more closely at him, his family, his friends. They didn't search cars or homes or workplaces. They searched the area he lives in, but that was all. He will not give permission to look at messages between the both of you. He destroyed those messages.

"Police searched our house five times ...They searched Leah's brother's home. They searched our relatives' homes. They searched our cars, our workplaces, our internet history. It feels as if we were under suspicion."

John revealed he asked police to check for DNA on the clothes Mr X wore on Valentine's Day 2019, the day before Leah disappeared. This was the evening she fibbed to her parents and slipped out of the house, seemingly for a mystery assignation.

"The police will not check the clothes he wore Valentine's Day," said John. "They 'encourage' us to protect his anonymity."

He claims Mr X has lied about the relationship from the offset.

"Does he not realise that he may have information about people he introduced Leah to, people that may have led to her disappearance? Places Leah used to hang out at? Why doesn't he want to help us find her? Did she mean that little to him? He claims to be Leah's friend.. It feels as if he is not a good friend to her," he said.

On the 12 month anniversary of Leah's disappearance, John threatened to name Mr X publicly if he did not come forward to help police.

Today John said: "He has not talked to the police...We have reached the end. The end of waiting patiently... The end of keeping quiet."

Police say they spoke to Mr X early in the investigation and have no reason to be suspicious.

Meanwhile John and Clare recently met with DCI Andy Howard, the head of the police team investigating Leah's disappearance.

He has admitted the case is "baffling".

Despite extensive searches, enquiries and appeals, there have been no confirmed sightings and no clues about what happened to Leah since they day she vanished.

John said: "DCI Howard told us some of the lines of enquiry they have investigated these past 13 months. Ex criminals released from prison, illegal immigrants, paedophiles. Not a nice bunch of people. The kind of people no parent wants their child to ever have to run into."

He added: "Did you run into someone like them. Leah? Someone the police haven't looked at yet? Or was it someone you knew and trusted? Someone you had been introduced to and told you could trust?

The Crouchers were also told that last month's anniversary appeal for information about Leah produced 20 potential sightings.

John said: "Our latest update from our liaison officers says they have ruled out 16 of them already. They were not you, Leah. We have four chances left of finding you. Four young ladies out there that could be you. It is hard every time we are told that sighting is not you. Hard because those are the chances of finding you safe and well. Because as time and the world move on it feels as if there are less people helping us by looking for you."

"Time is, as always, making our worry greater by the day. The questions remain the same. Where are you Leah? Why did you not make it to work? What happened to you? Why have you vanished into thin air?"

Anybody with any information at all about Leah, particularly information about any relationship she might have been in, should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The MK Citizen has approached Thames Valley Police for a comment.