POLICE have begun digging near a river as they renew the search for the body of a mum who vanished 20 years ago.
Malgorzata Wnuczek disappeared on her way back from work in May 2006 at the age of 27 – and no trace of her has ever been found.
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Malgorzata, from Poland, was last seen after catching a bus from her workplace Peter Jackson Logistics into Leicester city centre.
The last contact she had with her family was a text message two days earlier.
She has a daughter named Ola, who was just three when her mum disappearded.
Ten years later, in 2016, her loved ones made an appeal joint with police for information, but it failed to turn anything up.
A £10,000 reward was offered by police, but only seven people ever responded.
Another search was launched in June 2023 following information provided by Polish police to the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU).
Police divers spent days scouring a stretch of the River Soar for personal possessions or potentially a body – but nothing was found.
During the 2023 probe, a 39-year-old man was arrested in Greater Manchester on suspicion of assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice.
He was later released with no further action, however.
Leicestershire Police said the new search follows the receipt of more information from colleagues in Poland.
The force’s Tactical Support Team (TST) has now started digging on scrubland off the Great Central Way – a walking and cycle route near the river.
Detective Superintendent Jenni Greenway, the senior investigating officer, said: “While I cannot go into specific details at this time, we have received information that human remains could be buried in this area which could potentially help us establish what happened to Malgorzata.
“Our teams will remain in the area over the coming weeks and I’d again like to take the opportunity to ask anyone who might be able to help us to come forward.
“I remain firm in my belief that there may be people still living in the city who know what happened to her.
“In particular, I’m extending this appeal to our Polish community.
“For nearly 20 years now, Malgorzata’s family have lived their lives not knowing what happened to her and we owe it to them to answer the questions they have.”
Anyone with information is asked to visit https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ and quote incident 362 of June 2 2023.
