Hi, and welcome back to The Unseen Podcast, a podcast dedicated to missing
people, unresolved cases and UK true crime. This is day four of twelve
days of missing person cases throughout December, and today we're going to be covering
the disappearance of thirty nine year old Leanne Smith from white Haven in Cumbria.
There is not as much information about Leanne's disappearance as other episodes. However,
I want to shine a light on as many missing people as possible and so
I still wanted to cover it. This episode is about a missing person and
so does not contain any graphic details, but listener discretion is always advised.
White Haven is a port town located on the northwest coast of England in the
County of Cumbria. Cumbria is best known for the Lake District National Park,
which attracts visitors and tourists from across the country and internationally. Whitehaven is located
around thirty eight miles from Carlyle and around forty five miles from Barrow in Furnace.
In the past, Whitehaven was known for the coal industry, but today
is more well known for being close to the cellar Field Nuclear Complex, which
is a large employer in the area. Rydell Avenue is situated close to Saltham
Bay, which is a harbour in the town center. Rydell Avenue is where
thirty nine year old Leanne Smith lived in twenty nineteen. On September fifteenth,
twenty nineteen, Leanne left her home on Rydell Avenue at around six pm.
She was wearing a blue coat, carrying a handbag and had her black shoulder
her in a ponytail. Those that knew Leanne did not know that this was
going to be the last time that anyone saw her. Her family were concerned
when she didn't return to her home and this appeared to be out of character.
When Leanne still had not returned to her home, her family contacted police
to inform them that she was missing. Police did daughter door inquiries to try
and locate her and also brought in specialist help given the location that she had
disappeared. It reported that during the police investigation into Leanne's disappearance, the strategies
used included checking coastal, rural and urban areas around white Haven. They also
used specialist trained officers, police dogs, police drones and helicopters to try and
find Leanne, as well as some assistance from the Coastguard. Given that Whitehaven
is so close to several bodies of water, it was important that police investigated
every angle for Leanne's disappearance, and it appeared that police did take it seriously.
There has not been a lot published about Leanne's background and so it's difficult
to say why Leanne would have disappeared. However, it's clear that her family
were worried about her and that they cared deeply about her. In March twenty
twenty, Stuart, Leanne's brother, spoke to The Times and Star about his
sister's disappearance. He said, we're all struggling. We sit and wait to
hear if anybody knows something, but there's been nothing. We're all in bits.
It's so difficult. We just want her home. The whole family is
begging her to please come home. In the same month, Inspector Jim Lloyd
stated, we continue to assess all lines of inquiries they come in. I
would urge anyone with any information in regards add in Leanne's whereabouts, no matter
how small, to contact police. Over the next week there will be PCSO's
going door to door again in the area where le Anne was last seen.
This is to try and gather further information from the public which they might not
have recalled at the time or thought relevant during previous appeals and inquiries. We
have fast approaching the festive holidays and with Christmas only a week away, the
community will be quite rightly turning their thoughts to spending time with their family and
friends. Leanne's family do not have that luxury of that family contact to look
forward to. Cumbria Constabulary continued to try and obtain answers for them. If
anyone does have any information about Leanne's whereabouts, we would ask them to contact
us on one oh one. In August twenty twenty, Leanne's brother Stuart spoke
to Whitehaven News about his sister's disappearance. He said, out of all my
family and people we know, I think it's just me who hasn't given up
hope yet. My parents are starting to come to terms with her being gone
now and accepting that she might have taken her own life and there might not
ever be any more news. I traveled down to Derbyshire for my dad's birthday
and everybody was talking about her and worrying about her. I just want to
know she's safe. Even a text or a call, anything would put us
at ease. We're all just hanging about now and we don't know whether she's
alive or dead. We want to believe there's still a chance she could walk
through the door, but it's just getting harder and harder. Stewart appealed to
the public for help to try and find his sister and hopes that they will
have more information. He said, please keep the memory of her going.
If you see her or hear about anyone seeing her, please get in touch
with us, even if it's just a message to let us know she's okay.
We just want to know she's safe. It's clear how devastated Leanne's family
is about her disappearance and how much they just want to find out what happened
to her. Time has continued to pass in Leanne's disappearance. However, her
family have done everything and anything they can to try and locate her and find
out what happened. In September of this year, a public search for Leanne
was launched to try and find her. At the time that she disappeared,
Leanne's family and her neighbors pitched in to try and find her. However,
this public search was launched by a member of the public named Lee Smith.
Lee explained to the News and Star, I know how to search for people.
I was researching other people who are missing and came across Leanne and I
got in touch with her brother and best friend. I've done three searches at
Kelson Woodhouse in Whitehaven to see if she has been missed Somehow. Whitehaven is
a nightmare to search because of all the steep inclines and vegetation. I'm hoping
a few people turn up on Saturday. I want to focus on Arrowmouth Road
and Woodhouse Quarry. This public search drummed up more attention for Leanne's disappearance,
and despite the four years that have passed, members of the public did turn
up to try and find her, and it shows how many people care about
her and want to help her family. It's reported that Leanne's father died recently
and that sadly he passed away without finding out what happened to his daughter.
This must be devastating for the family and makes finding out more information about her
disappearance all the more important. While there is little public information available about Leanne's
disappearance. I think it's so important to cover everyone's cases as equally as I
can. Leanne's disappearance is relatively recent in comparison to other cases that I cover,
and there will be someone out there listening who may be able to help.
It would be amazing if Leanne's family could get the closure and the answers
they need. So if you have any information about the disappearance of thirty nine
year old Leanne Smith from Whitehaven, then please contact police on one oh one
or contact the charity in Missing People. I will link her profile on Missing
People in the show notes for you to have a look at. Thank you
for listening to this episode four of twelve episodes of Missing People throughout December.
Look out for episode five coming in two days. If you'd like to support
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You can subscribe on YouTube and follow us on social media. As always,
I'm Caprice and this has been unseen the st