The parents of Kayleigh Haywood, whose disappearance is being treated as a murder, have said “a big part of our lives is gone”.
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Kayleigh, from Measham, had not been seen since about 6pm on Friday November 13, when she was dropped off outside Ibstock Community College in Central Avenue.
Officers have now widened the search to include an area of agricultural land 10 miles away from her home.
Magistrates were granted police another 36 hours to hold two men, aged 27 and 28, arrested on Monday over the disappearance.
“Five days on, we’ve heard nothing from her and this is completely out of character”.
They have found items of clothing, along with her phone and said they are “increasingly concerned she may have come to harm”.
Stephanie Haywood and Martin Whitby told the Leicester Mercury their daughter is a bubbly, caring girl who loves her family.
“If you can help please call 0800 096 1233 or 0207 158 0197”.
Meanwhile, residents are being encouraged to search their back gardens and outbuildings, no matter how small they may be, leaving specially trained officers to undertake the coordinated searches.
Officers have been examining CCTV footage, carrying out house-to-house inquiries and speaking to a few of her friends.
Mr Sandall said: “We are doing inquiries through Facebook to identify any other witnesses or anybody that could help us find Kayleigh”.
“Obviously 15-year-olds do contact people within social media”.
The news that police are now treating the investigation as a murder inquiry comes 24 hours after Kayleigh’s parents made an emotional appeal for her to come home.
Sandall has urged anyone who was in the Diseworth or Belton areas between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning to get in touch with the police force.
“We have been trying to piece together her last movements and, we believe she may have been in the Sence Valley Forest Park area on Saturday afternoon”. “But Kayleigh told the girl that she would be going to visit an auntie instead”.
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“Her brothers and sisters are constantly asking for her and if anyone knows anything we beg you to come forward”.
