Leah’s body was recovered from the River Ouse near Terry Avenue on Thursday, September 28, last year.
Last night (Wednesday, October 16), Rachael Maskell presented the petition to parliament which was created by Leah’s aunt Jayne Reynolds.
A coroner was unable to provide a cause of death for the teenager, from Acomb, at an inquest opening last year.
The hearing heard that Leah was last seen near Lendal Bridge in the early hours of Sunday, September 20, and was reported missing to police later that day.
“It has been a very long heart-breaking year for us as a family, not knowing what happened to Leah. We were led to believe the last sighting of Leah was near the river, unfortunately we do not know anything else at this stage,” Jayne said.
After Leah’s death, Jayne and other family members walked along the riverbank and saw groups of teenagers drinking alcohol with friends. They also came across people with mental health challenges and others unstable on their feet.
Recommended reading:
- Family pay tribute to ‘bright and bubbly’ York teen who was ‘loved by many’
- Hundreds say final farewell to ‘loving’ and ‘strong hearted’ York teenager Leah
- Balloon release in memory of York teenager Leah
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Rachael Maskell has joined calls for the council to rethink its decision to axe funding for Age UK York’s popular day club service.
