12:27pm Monday 18th January 2010
By Jennifer Bell
THE father of missing York chef Claudia Lawrence has outlined plans for a massive awareness day, as the first anniversary of her disappearance draws closer.
Balloons emblazoned with the image of Claudia will be let loose over York and a huge birthday cake will take centre stage in St Sampson’s Square on the Claudia Awareness Day on February 26.
The date will be the eve of Claudia's 36th birthday and her family and friends have planned the day to help keep Claudia's profile raised nationwide.
Speaking at a press conference this morning at Middlethorpe Hall in Bishopthorpe, ten months to the day since the chef disappeared, Claudia's father Peter Lawrence said he hoped the day would urge more people to come forward with information that could help police discover her whereabouts.
“Somebody somewhere has that one vital clue and we just have to be patient and do all we can to keep this campaign ongoing,” he said.
The Slingsby-based solicitor said it was tradition for him to come to York and spend the day with Claudia on her birthday.
“We would meet up and have a drink – we usually spent it together,” he said.
He said the idea for the awareness day came from Claudia's friends and members of the general public who through Facebook, emails and FindClaudia.co.uk had expressed their desire to do something to help keep Claudia's profile raised across as wide an area as possible.
Mr Lawrence's spokesman Martin Dales urged local businesses to lend their support to help donate the balloons and the birthday cake.
Speaking about his first Christmas at home without his daughter, Mr Lawrence, 63, said: ”We got through it and New Year, for me, brought hope than sooner rather than later we get a resolution.”
Claudia, 35, of Heworth Road, York, has not been seen since last March and police are treating her disappearance as suspected murder.
Anyone with information should contact police on 0845 6060247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
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