Missing chef Claudia's family united for TV appeal

May 31 2009 By Robert Weatherall, Sunday Sun

THE FAMILY of Claudia Lawrence are to make a united appeal for more information on the missing chef.

Claudia’s father, mother and sister are all to appear on BBC1’s Crimewatch programme on Tuesday in an attempt to help uncover a vital clue which will solve the mystery of the 35-year-old’s disappearance.

It will be the second time Claudia’s case has been featured on the programme but this time the appeal will include new eyewitness accounts from Claudia’s friends and members of the public.

BBC crews from the programme spent much of last week in and around York filming a reconstruction of Claudia’s last known movements.

She was last seen on March 18 on Heworth Road near her home in York. She was reported missing after she failed to turn up for work and failed to meet a friend in a pub.

Claudia’s father Peter has been at the forefront of the campaign to keep Claudia’s case in the public’s mind.

Her mother Joan, who is divorced from her father, has only recently spoken publicly about her daughter’s disappearance.

Last week she said that despite the fantastic response from the public she feels more people need to come forward.

She also revealed she still believes her daughter is alive – despite the police treating the disappearance as suspected murder.

She said: "I don’t think she’s in the country. I think she’s abroad. I don’t know for certain. I have a gut instinct.

"I don’t think hardly anybody’s come forward really. . . nothing definite.

"I sometimes feel we’re going down the wrong track. I think there’s got to be new input."

Police have released a number of CCTV images of men they want to question in relation to the disappearance.

One is of a man seen near to the rear of the terrace where Claudia lived about 5.50am on March 19.

They also want to hear from two men seen outside the front of Claudia’s home on March 10, a man and woman seen on Melrosegate Bridge in York at around 5.35am on March 1, and a couple seen arguing near a car on University Road on the same morning.

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