Hundreds of mourners have gathered at a candlelit vigil to pay tribute to a 24-year-old woman whose body was found today.
Leah Daley was last seen at The Warren along the coast in Folkestone at 7pm on Sunday, May 5.
A huge effort was launched to locate her – including police appeals, a rapidly growing Facebook group called Leah’s Search and the circulating of the hashtag #findleahdaley.
But the 12-day search came to a tragic end today as police confirmed a body had been discovered in undergrowth at The Warren this afternoon.
This evening, scores of mourners have met at The Leas bandstand to remember the Folkestone resident.
Leah’s family said they were keen for the whole community to attend the event, which started at 9pm.
Candles have been lit around the Victorian landmark and many people are laying flowers and leaving tributes.
During the extensive search efforts, Leah’s family released a statement on Tuesday describing her disappearance as “totally out of character”.
They added: “We thank everybody for their support and assistance over the last nine days, especially Leah’s friends and the local community who have devoted time, effort and resources to find her.”
Leah had last been seen at the bottom of a concrete path leading from the Martello Tower at The Warren – a local beauty spot with woodland walks, chalk grassland and sea views.
Police taped off part of the area this afternoon, but all cordons were lifted in the early evening.
