A MAJOR breakthrough may be made in the cold case investigation of a missing schoolboy who vanished in 1988.

Lee Boxell, was 15 when he vanished while on the way to a football match in Croydon in South London, from his home in Cheam, in Surry but police have never been able to work out what happened to him.

4 Big progress has been made in the Lee Boxell cold case Credit: PA:Press Association

But Scotland Yard detectives are now pursuing a fresh lead which they hope could finally reveal his fate and bring peace at last to his family.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman told the Sun Online: “On the basis of new information coming to light, officers are now pursuing a new line of enquiry.”

Lee’s father, Peter, got to the final of Britain’s Got Talent with the Missing People Choir last year while singing I Miss You in tribute his only son.

Speaking about his work with the charity, the 71-year-old said: “Even if we don’t find out what happened to Lee, what we have done in the last few years has helped missing people to be reunited with their loved ones.”

4 Lee was thought to be on his way to a football match when he went missing Credit: PA:Press Association

In 2013 police had discovered he would spend time in a church outbuilding, known as the Shed, a meeting place for teenagers.

A Crimewatch appeal for information revealed there had been allegations surrounding the youth club and sexual abuse.

Search teams carried out a forensic archaeological dig of graves surrounding St Dunstan's Church last year.

Police have said that they are convinced that the answers to Lee's disappearance "are in that graveyard".

Three men aged 78, 52, and 41 were quizzed in 2014 on suspicion of Lee’s murder and conspiracy to pervert justice and indecency with children.

A woman, 42, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert justice and indecency with children.

All were released without charge.

4 Parents Christine and Peter Boxell have never given up hope of finding out the truth as well as campaigning for the Missing People charity to help others in their situation Credit: Simon Jones - The Sun

MOST READ IN NEWS Exclusive 'NIGHTMARE' Terrified BA crew detained in 'prison camp' Covid quarantine in Hong Kong ESCO-BUCKS! Pablo Escobar's nephew finds £14m in cash stashed in wall of drug lord's house LASHED TO BITS Paedo collapses as he’s caned 52 times after being sentenced to 169 lashes CREEPY CRAWLERS Dozens of horrifying 3ft-long robber crabs invade family's campsite BBQ JOHNNY ROTTEN Cops seize 324,000 used condoms being washed & sold as NEW in Vietnam raid 'MUST ACT NOW' France sees highest daily covid infections as 16,096 test positive in a day

4 Police investigating the churchyard of St Dunstans Credit: Gary Stone - The Sun

Police have said that they are convinced that the answers to Lee’s disappearance “are in that graveyard”.

Detectives initially assumed that Lee had gone to watch a football match at Selhurst Park after he told friends he might go to watch Charlton Athletic play Millwall.

However, they could find no evidence of him attending the game and after extensive inquiries a new witness recalled seeing him in Sutton High Street at 2.20pm, which would not have left enough time to reach the game before the 3pm kick-off. Lee's parents, Peter and Christine, have kept his bedroom exactly how it was the day he went missing.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.