It’s a mystery that still remains unsolved - the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence prompted the largest and most complex missing person inquiry in the history of North Yorkshire Police. The University of York chef went missing on March 18, 2009, aged 35 and was last seen near her home in the Heworth area of the city. Tonight, Channel 5’s Vanished: The Search for Britain's Missing will take a closer look at what happened to the chef who went missing without a trace.
Some 14 years after Claudia went missing from her home with no explanation, her distraught mother still wakes up every day looking for answers to what happened to her daughter that day. The alarm was raised when she failed to turn up to meet a friend or go to work at York University - behaviour that was very unusual for Claudia. Six weeks after her disappearance, the investigation was reclassified to a suspected murder inquiry, although North Yorkshire Police said they have no evidence Claudia is dead.
Claudia's mum, Joan Lawrence, is still searching for answers to her daughter's disappearance (Peter Barron / SWNS)Although the chef was single, she had a number of short-term relationships with men, some of whom were allegedly married or in relationships. The investigation centred around the construction of a ‘rogue's gallery’ of the men she had been involved with. One Sky News journalist stated, "Claudia apparently lived a significant part of her life in secret. For a privately educated daughter of a country solicitor, Claudia had some unusual acquaintances and this remains the only missing person case where I have been warned off or threatened - not once but twice".
Last year, Claudia’s mother Joan spoke to The Mirror about her daughter’s disappearance and called for the police to search for more clues saying she believes the answers lie in the 72 hours after the university chef went missing. “I just feel there is something obvious we are all missing,” Joan, 79, said. “I feel everything needs examining again, from her house to local searches on the street where she lived. We need to go back to square one, talk to potential witnesses, people who lived nearby or who came forward but weren't listened to at the time. All the original forensics needs re-examining.”
Police searching Sand Hutton Gravel Pitts for clues after Claudia Lawrence went missing (Lee McLean/SWNS)Despite two separate inquiries and a comprehensive review involving hundreds of police personnel and national experts, no trace has ever been found of the missing University of York chef. During the last 13 years, North Yorkshire Police has vigorously investigated all possible, viable lines of enquiry in a bid to discover what happened to Claudia, who would be 49 years old now. Nine people have been questioned, but no charges have ever been brought.
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In January 2017, North Yorkshire Police decided to scale back the investigation and to move to a “reactive” phase. Detective Superintendent Wayne Fox, said: “Whilst the inquiry is in a reactive phase, I want to stress that it is not closed. Every new piece of information or material is thoroughly assessed for investigative value and tested against the significant amounts of material which have been acquired over the last 13 years.
"I repeat my appeals to anyone else who may have information which is relevant to Claudia’s disappearance to share that information with us. Given the sheer amount of material acquired, and the number of enquiry lines pursued, it may be the case that what could appear to be insignificant, could actually be the key to finally resolving this inquiry.”
The case of missing Claudia Lawrence has not been solvedIn August 2021, North Yorkshire Police searched a popular fishing lake at Sand Hutton gravel pits, six miles from Heworth but officers would not say what had led them to the site. Joan said: “I feel it’s now all down to me to keep Claudia’s name in the public eye. It can feel quite frightening and it wears me down at times. It’s been such a long time since Claudia went missing and still we have no answers. I never thought it would ever get to this stage. It’s awful not knowing. I just wish I had answers.”
Then in January 2022 a mysterious floral tribute claiming that missing chef Claudia Lawrence is “in the water” was found near to a beauty spot. Photo evidence of the tribute shows a small bouquet of flowers placed next to a laminated missing person’s photo of Claudia. On the bottom of the page, there is a note a note written block capitals that reads “she is in the water”, with two arrows pointing in one direction. While the exact location hasn't been revealed, it's understood the tribute wasn't discovered at Sand Hutton gravel pits, near York, where investigations took place the summer before.
If you have information on Claudia Lawrence, you can contact Missing People at
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