‘Utter shock’ of Claudia’s mum as new search starts
THE mother of missing Claudia Lawrence has said she is in ‘utter shock’ over the new police hunt for her daughter.
Joan Lawrence told reporters she was ‘very churned up’ as officers began searching gravel pits and woodland eight miles outside York.
She said ‘every single day is a nightmare’ since her daughter disappeared from her home in the city in 2009, but she insisted she still has hope.
Detectives believe the 35-year-old York university chef was murdered, although no body has ever been found.
On Tuesday, North Yorkshire Police revealed it had begun to search the Sand Hutton gravel pits – now used as fishing ponds – but could not disclose what led the investigation to the location.
Mrs Lawrence told the BBC that police informed her about the operation on Tuesday morning.
‘I’m very, very churned up, actually. It’s too much to take in,’ she said.
‘I haven’t had time to really digest it and the possibilities, wondering where it’s all come from, wonder if it’s some information.
‘Why Sand Hutton? I can’t think of any connection with
Sand Hutton that Claudia would have.’
The mother-of-two added: ‘At the end of the day, this is very personal and it’s about me and
a daughter that I haven’t seen for 12 years.’ Ms Lawrence’s father, Peter, died earlier this year without finding out what happened to her.
One of his friends, Martin Dales, described the development in the case as ‘bittersweet’. He said: ‘Peter would have been supportive of what the police are doing, no question of that, as I am.’
A large area of woodland has been cordoned off, with officers seen searching the area with sticks. Speaking after he took over the investigation earlier this year, Det Supt Wayne Fox said the force had received ‘extremely interesting’ new information and urged the persons concerned to get back in touch.