A FATHER still wants to know what happened to his son, who disappeared in Sutton in 1988.
Peter Boxell pleaded for an end to the 26-year mystery as police offered a £20,000 reward for any information.
Officers initially thought 15-year-old Lee Boxell was on his way to a match at Selhurst Park when he went missing. He was last seen in Sutton High Street on September 10, 1988.
But the Met now believes he may have gone to an unofficial youth club in Cheam and are investigating whether his death could be linked to a group of paedophiles that lived in the area at the time.
Ten-thousand copies of a leaflet about the case now are being distributed around the borough.
Mr Boxell writes in the flyer: "I am pleased the police are funding this reward and would appeal to anyone with information to come forward.
"We, Lee's family, need answers to what happened to Lee. Someone in this community can give us those answers. Please help us bring Lee home."
At a press conference announcing the reward on Monday, Mr Boxell spoke of the anguish he and his wife Christine had been through since Lee's disappearance.
He said: "When Lee first disappeared, it was like a living nightmare. We have had a lot of help over the years to help us know what to do. We have tried to carry on living as normal, in case Lee returned, and for our daughter's sake."
Mr Boxell also spoke of what he now believed to be the reality of the situation.
"I have never given up hope," he said. "If he is alive that would be fantastic but we still need to find him." But he added: "As time has gone by, it is more and more likely Lee was murdered."
Mr Boxell also praised the police for the way they continued to investigate and said he believed this was exactly the right time for them to offer a reward. "It is amazing what the police have done. They have left no stone unturned."
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