Family of missing York student Megan Roberts ‘have not lost hope’

The 20-year-old from Wetherby disappeared on a night out in York on January 23, though the alarm was only raised three days later.

Police say the most likely scenario is that the York St John University student fell in the River Ouse while “affected by alcohol”, and admit the chances of finding her safe are now “increasingly remote”.

Writing on a public Facebook page set up to aid the search for Megan, the student’s mother Jackie thanked wellwishers “for all your support and kind thoughts”.

She wrote: “The police have been amazing, they are doing all they can to find her. We’ve been given as much information as the police can give us and all evidence does point towards this being a tragic run of events with no one to blame.

“Until we know for certain, we all have hope, but whatever the outcome we are all carrying Megan in our hearts.

“This is a very difficult time and, as a family we will always be thankful for everyone’s love and support and caring thoughts for my beautiful daughter.”

Megan was last seen on CCTV on the corner of Rougier Street and Lendal Bridge at around 2.20am on January 23.

Officers continued to search the banks of the River Ouse and the nearby area over the weekend, but the specialist regional team of divers was not on duty.

On Friday they were searching a stretch of the river from Lendal Bridge, near where Megan was seen on CCTV before going missing, to Naburn five miles downstream.

Anyone with information which can help officers should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101.