Mourners to line the streets of Milton Keynes to say goodbye to Leah Croucher ahead of funeral today

Hundreds of mourners are expected to line the streets this morning to pay their respects to Leah Croucher during a public funeral procession ahead of her funeral at midday.

The funeral cortege will be led by an undertaker who will walk in front of a horse-drawn hearse and two vehicles along the route.

The cortege will leave White Horse Drive in Emerson Valley at 10.50am, and proceed through Furzton, Shenley Brook End, Shenley Church End and Grange Farm before arriving at Crownhill Crematorium at noon.

The funeral is expected to start at 12.15pm and finish at approximately 1pm.

Police have urged people not to go to the crematorium and respect that it is a private service for family and close friends.

But they have issued a map of the route for the cortege and people are welcome to gather along the route.

Leah’s family has asked for their privacy to be respected at this time and that only invited individuals attend the funeral service at the crematorium.

Leah Croucher went missing on February 15, 2019, the morning after Valentine’s Day. She had left her Emerson Valley home as normal to walk to work and seemingly vanished into thin air.

The last CCTV sighting showed her walking through the Furzton estate.

Last October, nearly four years after her disappearance, a body was discovered hidden in the attic of a house on Loxbeare Drive in Furzton – a property she would pass on her route to work.

Police later confirmed that the human remains were that of the 19-year-old teenager.

A murder enquiry has been launched and nobody has yet been arrested – though police have named deceased Milton Keynes man Neil Maxwell as a suspect.

Leah’s story, plus the despair of her family, produced a wave of sympathy in the city, and it is expected many people will want to show their compassion during today’s funeral.

Leah’s family said: “As a family, we would like to thank everyone who has expressed their condolences during this incredibly difficult stage of our lives. Losing Leah has been one of the most painful times of our lives.

“If you wish to offer your support, we ask that you use this page to donate to the charity Missing People. The charity has supported us over the last four years with appeals, publicity, legal advice and family support. We are very grateful…

"They are here in confidence for missing people and those that miss them. Their amazing team provide specialist, non-judgemental support, for free.”

Her family has also asked anybody planning to spend money on flowers for Leah to donate the cash to the Missing People charity instead.

A special fundraising page had been set up here through JustGiving and already more than £2,500 has been raised.

> The Church of the Servant King in Furtzon will be open from 10am to 1pm today for members of the community who would like to take a moment of reflection, quiet prayer or to light a candle in Leah’s memory.