Father leads campaign for missing chef Claudia Lawrence

Feb 28 2010 Sunday Sun

Miss Cooper said: “It’s been really, really tough for us all. We miss her deeply. It’s like a piece of our family has gone missing.”

Meanwhile, police investigating the disappearance of the university chef have revealed they were following up a “potentially significant lead”, following after a national television appeal.

New CCTV footage of Miss Lawrence was shown on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme last Thursday and a fresh appeal for information was made by Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway, who is leading the inquiry for North Yorkshire Police.

Det Supt Galloway said: “It’s a lead that will call upon us to check a specific location but it is a highly credible piece of information and something that we intend to act upon quickly.”

During the Crimewatch programme, Det Supt Galloway said police wanted to trace a man seen on CCTV wearing a hoodie and walking along Melrosegate, on Miss Lawrence’s route to work, just before 5am on the morning of March 18.

Mr Galloway confirmed the police investigation continued to be concentrated on Miss Lawrence’s relationships with a number of men.

He said detectives were frustrated that people were still slow to come forward, including some who were in the area of Melrosegate between 5am and 6am on Thursday March 19.

Mr Galloway said: “Don’t wait for us to knock on your door. Please come forward.”

Miss Lawrence was last seen near her home in Heworth, York, on March 18 last year and she failed to arrive for work the following morning.

Police are treating the investigation into her disappearance as one of suspected murder.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said the force had received a number of calls after the programme.

The spokesman said: “In excess of 30 calls were received by officers investigating Claudia’s disappearance.

“A potentially significant lead is being investigated; however, we are unable to give any further details.”