CRIMEWATCH has been axed by the BBC after 33 years of helping police catch some of the countries most notorious criminals.  We take a look back at some of the York crimes when viewers were asked for their help to bring criminals to justice.

Claudia Lawrence

The University of York chef went missing in March 2009, on her way home from work.

Four people were arrested in 2015 on suspicion of her murder, but they were never charged by North Yorkshire Police and the crime remains unsolved.

A reconstruction and statements from the police were aired on Crimewatch in the hope of being one step closer to finding out what happened to her.

Crimewatch helped get details about her out to the public and even offered a cash reward for anyone who had any information or knew any details that would help with the investigation.

York Press: Claudia Lawrence

William Kerr

William Kerr, 53, absconded from court-approved premises near Selby in March 2015.

Kerr was jailed for life for murder at Leeds Crown Court in June 1998 and was released January 23, 2015, but went on the run for a month.

Crimewatch issued a £5,000 reward and an appeal which ultimately led to his capture 24 hours after it was broadcast.

Peter Hannah

Peter Hannah, 42, went on the run after stabbing a man with learning difficulties in February 2010.

Police appealed for information and released a mugshot of Hannah. The next day York police spotted him thanks to the Crimewatch appeal, and he was finally caught and sentenced.

He was convicted of attacking Stephen Tully by slashing both sides of his face due to what Hannah claimed to be ‘drug owed debt money’.

York Press: Peter Hannah.jpg

Heather Mook

Heather Mook, a con-woman formerly of Heslington Road, York, tried to kill her husband by poisoning him and stole money from her mother-in-law. 

She began to take her mother-in-law’s life savings of £43,000 in 2003, paying for a breast reduction while telling her family she had breast cancer.

She feared her lies would be uncovered by her husband, John, and laced his spaghetti bolognese with rat poison and fed him anti-depressants.

The painstaking police investigation was broadcast on Crimewatch as viewers were given an insight into the detective work which brought her to justice.

Mook was convicted in December 2007 of two charges of poisoning her husband with Amitryptyline with intent to endanger his life, having previously admitted one charge of giving him rat poison with intent to harm him.

Mook also admitted two more charges of giving him the anti-depressant with intent to injure him and 19 fraud offences.

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