Urgent appeal to find 16-year-old Leah from York

Updated: Concerns are growing for a missing 16-year-old girl from York.

UPDATE 27 September 2023 

Police are continuing the search for missing Leah aged 16 from York.

Leah was last seen by her friends on the morning of Wednesday 20 September 2023.

Extensive enquiries have been carried out to find Leah and sadly those enquiries have led officers to concentrate their searches on the River Ouse in York.

A confirmed sighting of Leah on CCTV shows her at the edge of the river near Lendal Bridge on 20 September, and on 25 September underwater search officers recovered a mobile phone used by Leah from the River Ouse.

Underwater searches began on Monday 25 September and are continuing today with the help of specialist underwater search officers from the Regional Marine and Underwater Search Team.

Leah’s family have been updated with developments in the search.

Leah was last seen by her friends on Wednesday (20 September 2023) morning.

She has not been seen at her home address for 48 hours and was reported missing on Wednesday afternoon.

Extensive enquiries are ongoing in and around York. This includes working with British Transport Police and bus operators in case Leah has travelled away from the city.

North Yorkshire Police are urgently appealing for any possible sightings of Leah or any information that could help us to locate her and confirm she is safe.

Leah is described as white with shoulder-length black dyed hair (it is dyed red in the photograph above), 5ft 2in tall, and she was last seen wearing a dark blue hooded top with a white logo, black combat-style trousers that are flared at the bottom, and black and white trainers.

If you can help, please call North Yorkshire Police immediately on 999 quoting reference number 12230178426.