Leanne Chambers

Missing Leanne Chambers, 30, suffers from depression

THE boyfriend of a missing woman whose coat and purse were found in a river has spoken of his nightmare since her disappearance.

Leanne Chambers, 30, who was worried that a sicknote excusing her from work was coming to an end, had been at a pub earlier in the evening with partner Steve Crossley.

After returning to their home in The Anchorage, Chester-le-Street, on Tuesday night, Mr Crossley went to bed and woke after midnight to find Ms Chambers had gone.

Her coat and purse were later found in the River Wear in the town’s Riverside Park – and her mobile phone was found on a park bench.

Mr Crossley, 35, said: “I’m absolutely devastated. I just can’t comes to terms with it.

It is a living nightmare.

“I want to appeal for help in finding her. If Leanne is out there, I just want her to get in contact with anybody – even if it is not myself – just to let us know she is safe.”

Ms Chambers had been on medication for depression for about a month and was worried after receiving a letter asking her to come into work for an assessment. She works for a car parts firm in Washington, Wearside.

“She didn’t want to go back because she didn’t feel ready,” said Mr Crossley.

The couple had gone for a meal on Tuesday evening at a pub in the town’s Front Street, and bought a bottle of wine on the way home.

Someone fitting her description was captured on CCTV walking toward the town centre at 10.40pm.

Ms Chambers, who formerly worked as a sales representative for The Northern Echo, had a glass of wine at the Red Lion pub before heading towards Riverside Park.

A search was launched on Wednesday and continued on Thursday when Northumbria Police’s underwater team was brought in. It drew a blank, but is due to return to the area on Monday.

Miss Chambers is 5ft 7in, of slim to medium build with dark brown hair in a bob.

She was wearing a grey hooded top, black leggings and dark Ugg boots.

Anyone with information should call police on 0345-60-60-365.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/chesterlestreet/5032487.Boyfriend_of_missing_woman_talks_of_his____living_nightmare___/[list][*]

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Boyfriend of missing woman begs for help
Feb 26 2010 by Sophie Doughty, Evening Chronicle

THE FRANTIC boyfriend of missing Leanne Chambers today begged for help to find her.

Steven Crossley, 35, had been at the pub with his girlfriend, who has suffered from depression for a number of years, just hours before she went missing.
But after returning to their home in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, Steven went to bed and awoke after midnight to find her gone.
The 30-year-old, who had been on the sick from work, had been worried after receiving a letter from her employers asking her to come in for a health assessment.
Leanne’s coat and purse have now been found by police divers in the River Wear.
Steven said: “I’m absolutely devastated. I’m starting to fear the worse now. If she is OK I just want her to get in touch with somebody. Even if it isn’t me.”
Police divers yesterday searched the river but could find no trace of sales co-ordinator, Leanne.
Steven said: “She’s intelligent, witty and a lot of fun. But she has suffered from depression for some time and is on medication.”

A search operation was launched when she went missing.
Volunteers from Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team were called in to help with the search on Wednesday.
And a member of the team found a coat she had been wearing.
The hunt intensified yesterday when Northumbria Police’s underwater search unit was brought in.
But despite hours of searching there was still no sign of Leanne.
Det Sgt Amanda Henderson, of Durham police, said: “We are anxious to speak to anyone who was in or around the park from 10.30pm on Tuesday.
“She is 5ft 7 ins tall, of slim to medium build with dark brown hair in a bob and was wearing a grey hooded top, black leggings and dark Ugg boots.”
Anyone with any information should call 0345 606o 365

River search fails to find Leanne

POLICE mounted another search of the River Wear in the hunt for missing Leanne Chambers at the weekend.

Ms Chambers, 30, disappeared from the home she shares with Steven Crossland, in The Anchorage, Chester-le- Street, on February 23.

Mr Crossland, 35, said his partner was being treated for depression and had been worried that a sicknote excusing her from work was coming to an end.

A search was mounted and her coat and purse were found in the River Wear, in the town’s Riverside Park, – and her mobile phone was found on a park bench.

Police returned on Saturday to search the river above the weir, where her mobile phone was found, while a boat also searched the river as far as Sunderland.

Ms Chambers, who is originally from Shildon, County Durham, and also used to work for The Northern Echo as a sales representative, is 5ft 7in, slim to medium build and was wearing her hair in a dark brown bob.

She was wearing a grey hooded top, black leggings and dark Ugg boots.

Anyone with information is asked to call 0345-60-60-365.

Search on hold for missing woman Leanne Chambers
Feb 27 2010 by Sophie Doughty, Evening Chronicle
DAZED Steven Crossland faces an agonizing wait for the search for his missing girlfriend to resume.

Leanne Chambers has not been seen since she slipped out of the home she shares with Steven, in Chester-le-Street, late on Tuesday night.

And while the frantic 35-year-old is still holding on to the hope, he will spend the next two-days in limbo after police divers who had been searching the Wear for Leanne told him they were putting their search on hold until Monday.

He said: “I’m just going to have days of hell sitting and waiting. I’m starting to fear the worst now but not knowing is awful. I’m absolutely devastated.”

Steven met Leanne, 30, at car parts supplier Calsonic Kansei, in Washington, where they both work.

But sales-coordinator, Leanne, who has suffered from depression for a number of years, had spent recent weeks off sick, and was on medication.

On Tuesday Leanne became distressed when she received a message from work telling her she needed to be assessed by a doctor and she was pre-occupied that night about her doctor’s appointment the next day.

When the couple went out for a meal at a local pub that night Leanne was distant and quiet.

But when Steven went to bed leaving Leanne watching TV with a bottle of wine, he had no idea it could be the last time he saw her.

Steven went to bed, but when he was awoken by the couple’s cat Chloe at 12.30am, he discovered Leanne had gone.

He jumped in his car and began driving around looking for her but when their was no sign of her an hour later he called police.

A search was launched involving police, firefighters and members of the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team.

Investigations revealed Leanne was caught on CCTV walking through the town. She went to a pub where she had a glass of wine and bought a bottle.

And she was last seen heading into Riverside Park. Police divers spent Thursday searching the river but her coat and purse were in the water, and her mobile phone was found on a park bench. The search was called off late on Thursday night.

“I can’t help thinking the worst now, because no one has seen her,” said Steven.

Fate of missing Leanne Chambers still a mystery
Mar 2 2010 by Sophie Doughty, The Journal


THE fate of a woman missing from home remains a mystery one week after she disappeared.

Police divers were yesterday continuing to trawl the River Wear in their search for 30-year-old Leanne Chambers, who has not been seen since she left her Chester-le-Street home last Tuesday.

Last night Leanne’s distraught boyfriend Steven Crossland told how he had endured a week of hell waiting for news of his beloved partner.

The 35-year-old said: “I still know nothing at all. As the days go by it gets worse and worse.

“Every day is the same at the moment, it’s just sitting and waiting. It’s terrible.

“All I’m doing is sitting in the house and hoping. It’s like living in limbo just sitting here waiting for news.”

Steven met Leanne at car parts supplier Calsonic Kansei, in Washington, where they both work.

But sales co-ordinator Leanne, who has suffered from depression for a number of years, had spent recent weeks off sick and was on medication. On Tuesday Leanne became worried when she received a message from work telling her she needed to be assessed by a doctor, and she was pre-occupied that night about her doctor’s appointment the next day.

The couple spent their last hours together before she disappeared having a meal at a local pub. When Steven went to bed leaving Leanne watching TV with a bottle of wine, she slipped out the house and has not been seen since.

Leanne was captured on CCTV walking into Chester-le-Street’s Riverside Park.

A huge search operation was launched on Wednesday involving police, firefighters and members of the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team.

Police divers spent Thursday searching the river and although Leanne’s purse and jacket were found and her mobile phone was discovered on a park bench, there is still no sign of her.

Officers from Northumbria Police’s underwater search unit returned to the river yesterday, this time widening their search area all the way to Sunderland.

“I can’t help thinking the worst now, because no one has seen her,” said Steven. Anyone with any information about Leanne’s whereabouts is asked to call Durham Police on 0345 606 0365.

Boyfriend believes missing Leanne Chambers still alive
Mar 22 2010 by Sophie Doughty, Evening Chronicle


THE frantic partner of missing Leanne Chambers has been given fresh hope after a possible sighting of her hundreds of miles away.

The 30-year-old has not been seen since she vanished from the home she shares with boyfriend Steven Crossland, in Chester-le-Street, almost a month ago.

But Steven, 35, who was beginning to fear Leanne would not be found, said he now believes she is still alive, after a taxi driver spotted a woman matching her description in South Wales.

The cabbie contacted police after seeing a television appeal Steven made last week.

He said he remembered seeing and talking to a woman matching her description days earlier, and that she had said she was trying to get back to County Durham, and was looking for the nearest police station.

He told Durham Police he came across a woman in the early hours of March 7 on the A470 near Abercynon, about 20 miles north of Cardiff and 20 miles from the headquarters of Calsonic Kansei, the car parts supplier both Leanne and Steven work for.

Durham Police are now working with officers in South Wales to follow-up the lead.

And Steven said he is poised to travel anywhere in the country as soon as there is more information about where Leanne might be.

“I’m feeling very positive since the sighting,” he said. “Leanne has links to South Wales – it’s where the company we work for is based. And the description makes us think it was her. It’s given us a massive sense of hope when we were starting to fear the worst.

“If Leanne is trying to get back up here she could be anywhere in the country,” he said. “If I knew where she was I would be straight down there.”