Father of missing York chef Claudia Lawrence disappointed by poor response to request for information (From York Press)

Father of missing York chef Claudia Lawrence disappointed by poor response to request for information

12:18pm Tuesday 5th May 2009 in News By Nicola Fifield, Senior reporter

Claudia Lawrence

THE father of missing York chef Claudia Lawrence has voiced his disappointment that nobody has come forward to identify a hooded man seen with a young woman near his daughter’s home on the morning she failed to turn up to work.

It is now exactly seven weeks since the 35-year-old was last seen and police are treating her disappearance as suspected murder, with a £10,000 reward being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her disappearance.

Claudia’s solicitor father, Peter Lawrence, said that he found it “incredible” that nobody had offered any information to the police about the reported sighting of a man and a woman on Melrosegate bridge in York at 5.35am, on Thursday, March 19.

Crossing the bridge was part of Claudia’s normal route to work at the University of York’s Roger Kirk Centre and police have described the report, made by a passing cyclist, as “a significant sighting, at the right time in the right location”.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Mr Lawrence said: “I spoke to the police just two minutes ago. They told me nobody at all has come forward and I just find that incredible.

“There was a very good description of that man and somebody must know who he is. There aren’t going to be many people of that description in Melrosegate at 5.30am in the morning.”

The man, dressed in a black or dark-coloured hooded top, with the hood up, and dark combat trousers with pockets and buttons on either side, was holding a cigarette in his left hand.

The woman was wearing a blue, waist-length jacket with buttons similar to a jacket owned by Claudia.

Mr Lawrence, 62, of Slingsby, said he was also disappointed the £10,000 reward offered by Crimestoppers had not created any significant lines of inquiry.

“I’m disappointed that there has not been a great response,” he said. “I find it strange that people need an incentive to give information, but we live in a world where they do and I’m disappointed there hasn’t been more response.

“Not knowing anything at all about Claudia’s whereabouts is a most strange and dreadful feeling.

“My message is because of the feeling we are all going through, will someone out there please respond to those sightings, either to say it was us and we are nothing to do with it, or to say anonymously to Crimestoppers, that the person on the bridge was my neighbour, my work mate, or whatever – just something to relieve us of part of that dreadful feeling.”

Mr Lawrence, who is separated from Claudia’s mother, Joan, was speaking at the official launch of a new website appealing for information about his daughter’s disappearance.

The site, findclaudia.co.uk, has an opening message from Mr Lawrence and also carries a prayer from the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, for Claudia and Madeleine McCann, who disappeared two years ago in Portugal.

There is also a guestbook, where internet users are invited to leave messages of support for Claudia’s friends and family, and a link to a new Twitter page, called Find_Claudia.

Anybody with information about Claudia’s disappearance should phone North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.