FIVE years since York chef Claudia Lawrence vanished, police still have no prime suspect, and no real idea what happened to her. Yet several fresh leads have been announced following a review of the original investigation by North Yorkshire Police.

Detectives have narrowed down the time at which Claudia disappeared to the morning of March 19, 2009 – ruling out the possibility something happened the evening before.

“Claudia’s bed was made and it appears she had eaten breakfast and brushed her teeth,” said Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn. “It is our belief that she had left for work.”

Analysis of Claudia’s mobile phone records show she spent time in Acomb before she disappeared – where she may have been meeting someone. Using techniques not available in 2009, forensic examination has found fingerprints in her house and traces of a man’s DNA on a cigarette butt found in her car.

Police have also released a CCTV image of a man who said that he knew Claudia, but who they have never been able to trace. And they have issued renewed appeals for sightings of a man and a woman seen apparently arguing in University Road the morning she disappeared.

Further leads will be revealed on tonight’s BBC Crimewatch programme.

None of these leads amount to a significant breakthrough – at least not yet. But they may just jolt someone’s memory. We very much hope so. Five years after she disappeared, Claudia’s family need and deserve to know what happened.