CLAUDIA MURDER
Police arrest three men in their 50s over missing chef
TWO brothers and one of their childhood friends were yesterday arrested on suspicion of murdering missing chef Claudia Lawrence.
The trio, aged in their 50s, all also know a fourth man who was arrested last month, six years after the murder investigation began following Claudia’s disappearance.
All of the men are regulars in a pub close to the cottage in Heworth, York, from which 35- year- old Claudia vanished in March 2009.
Yesterday a close friend revealed how prior to the arrests the men had run a sweepstake taking bets on which of them would be the first to be arrested by North Yorkshire Police as the murder inquiry intensified.
The three men, who all live with partners, were seized in dawn raids at their homes in Heworth.
One of the properties is a £ 600,000 terrace home formerly owned by cricket legend Fred Trueman.
All of the suspects work or have links to the building trade and yesterday a family friend described how they had all been “leaned on” by police in recent months.
He added: “It was some weeks before the first arrest that they were joking about which one would be arrested first.
“They had had bit of a bet, a sweepstake, on who would be first.
“Turns out all three were right. It’s no surprise but I guess I might be next.”
The man leading the murder investigation, Det Supt Dai Malyn, yesterday asked the media not to name the suspects because “identity is an issue”.
Lurking
Two of the men attended secondary school together and have been friends ever since. They even became brothers- in- law at one stage.
All of the men knew Claudia who had a “complicated” sex life involving a large number of liaisons with married men.
Mr Malyn said he believes people have been lying to him during the course of the inquiry and he will take action against them.
The Daily Express understands that all of the men arrested yesterday have previously been questioned by police and a number of searches relating to their properties have taken place.
Claudia’s disappearance sparked one of Britain’s largest ever missing persons investigations.
Detectives say the case has been gathering pace since they released CCTV footage last month of a mystery man who was lurking in shadows near the rear of Claudia’s terrace cottage.
The footage was captured less than an hour before the chef’s final known contact – a telephone conversation with her mother Joan.
Detectives originally believed Claudia was abducted and killed as she walked to work for her 6am shift in the kitchens of York University on March 19.
But they now think that something happened to her while she was still at her home on the previous evening.
Claudia’s body has never been discovered.
Martin Dales, speaking on behalf of Claudia’s father, Peter Lawrence, described the arrests as “difficult” for the family. He said: “It’s happened so many times over the years but it never gets any less to deal with. It’s still an emotional shock.
“The key message today is that police have made it quite clear that there are people lying to them.”
“And it’s those people who’ve just got to realise what it’s like after all this length of time – family and friends waiting to find out what’s happened – and you’ve got that information and you’re too selfish to give it, or you’ve got something to hide, or a skin to preserve.”
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Searches are being conducted which are expected to be ongoing over a number of days. The investigation team would like to stress that Claudia has not been found.”
Last night the three men were still in custody while the man arrested last month remains on police bail. Detectives became convinced Claudia had been murdered within a month of her disappearance.
Her mother described the mystery as “every parent’s worst nightmare”.
She said last year: “I don’t think anyone could really imagine what it’s like, not knowing.
“I have nightmares, wondering what Claudia might have gone through. All you can do is live hour by hour, day by day and keep on hoping.’’