Human remains believed to belong to missing teenager Leah Croucher were found in the former home of a convicted paedophile, it has been reported.
A massive three-and-a-half year search for Leah, who was 19 when she went missing, is focusing on a house less than half a mile from where she was last seen while walking to work in 2019.
Police launched a murder probe yesterday, saying they had found human remains, a rucksack and other personal belongings at the property in Milton Keynes. No arrests have been made.
Now, it is reported that the four-bedroom detached house was once occupied by a man previously jailed for sexual offences against two teenagers.
It is understood he was not living in the property at the time of Leah's disappearance.
Last night, the convicted paedophile's father told The Times that the family moved out of the property years before Leah went missing in 2019, but still lived in the area and were aware of the case.
He said they rented the house, worth around £500,000, from an owner based in Dubai.
His mother said that she had "not seen him for years".
Police began searching the house after a tip-off from a member of the public on Monday, and launched a murder inquiry when they found a rucksack and other personal belongings of Ms Croucher's.
The force said in a statement: "During our forensic examinations at the scene in Milton Keynes, we have identified human remains.
"The forensic examination continues and will do for some time. It is likely to take some time to formally identify the deceased.
"Leah's family continue to be kept informed and updated. We ask the media to respect their privacy at this very difficult time."
Leah was last seen on CCTV just after 8.15am on February 15, 2019.
Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Hunter said: "Following a call to police on Monday, we attended an address and located items of concern within the property.
"We are dealing with a very difficult scene but we can now confirm that we have discovered a number of items that are linked to Leah, and as such we have now launched a murder investigation, led by our Major Crime Unit.
"Leah's family have been kept updated and continue to be supported by officers, and we are urging the public and media to think of her family and not to speculate further while this investigation is in the early stages.
"We will provide further updates when we are able to do so.
"There remains a scene watch in place at the address while this investigation continues, and we are committed to ensuring that our inquiries at the scene are thorough."
He said hundreds of officers and staff have worked on the search for Ms Croucher in the past three-and-a-half years, scouring 1,200 hours of CCTV and carrying out 4,000 house-to-house inquiries.
The search for her has involved specialist police search teams, the mounted section, police dogs, the marine unit and the National Police Air Service.
The scene at the house is "difficult and challenging" and "thorough and respectful" searches may take some time, Mr Hunter said.
He added: "The call from the member of the public that we received on Monday was the first occasion that we were alerted to this address, and we thank them for contacting us immediately to report their concerns.
"Our thoughts remain with Leah's family and friends, and we will continue to offer them all the support that they need."
Mr Hunter urged members of the public in the area on the day Leah disappeared and those with relevant information to come forward.
"I appreciate the passage of time that has passed but we remain hopeful that somebody may have a crucial piece of information, particularly given this significant development today," he said.
"It may be that you have CCTV in the area. If you have any footage from around the time of Leah's disappearance, please check this and contact us on 101 or online, quoting reference number 43190049929.
"No matter how insignificant you believe any information you may have will be, please contact us. Your information could prove critical in this investigation."
Leah was described by loved ones as "very quiet" and "not really an outgoing type of person", preferring to read fantasy fiction or watch DVDs in her room to nights out at the pub.
She had competed internationally in taekwondo but her father said she was "not a fighter".
Her family was struck by further tragedy when Leah's brother, Haydon Croucher, died at the age of 24 in November 2019.
His mother said he had found the disappearance of his sister "very difficult".
