03/06/2009

Claudia Leads Investigated After Crimewatch Appeal

Police investigating the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence are following up new leads, after a TV appeal on BBC One's Crimewatch programme.

The 35-year-old chef was last seen near her home in the Heworth area of York on March 18. She did not arrive for a 6am shift at the University of York's Goodricke College the following morning.

North Yorkshire Police have now formally classified the investigation into her disappearance as one of suspected murder.

A reconstruction of her last known movements was shown on Crimewatch, as part of a new appeal, and her family pleaded for information on her whereabouts.

Det Supt Ray Galloway said Miss Lawrence might have had a "complex" private life and asked for more confidential details, resulting in more than 40 calls issuing information, within an hour of the appeal.

Speaking on the programme, Mr Galloway said: "We believe there are certain areas of Claudia’s life that remain a mystery. It is apparent that some of her relationships are complicated and are not known to her family.

"I would urge anyone who was in a relationship with Claudia to let us know."

After the programme, Mr Galloway added: "We have had information and callers who have either been in a relationship with Claudia, or suspect other people have been in a relationship with Claudia."

The detective said he would trace anyone who had been involved in a relationship with Miss Lawrence and urged those people to come forward now.

During the programme, Miss Lawrence's sister, Alexandria Sims, gave her first interview in relation to the chef's disappearance.

Mrs Sims said: "I find it hard to accept that people just vanish into thin air. There must be people out there that have seen something suspicious or who know something that's happened."

She continued: "There's frustration at not knowing what's happened to her because obviously someone must know what's happened and someone must know someone else who knows what happened."

(JM/BMcC)

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