Fresh appeal following new information in Claudia case
A potential sighting of Claudia Lawrence on the morning after she disappeared has sparked a fresh appeal from North Yorkshire Police.
The police, who are now treating the case as suspected murder, received information from a cyclist with a potential sighting of 35-year-old Lawrence on the morning that she failed to turn up for work as a chef in the Roger Kirk Centre.
According to Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway a young woman was sighted on Lawrence’s route to work talking to a man wearing a dark hooded top. The sighting occurred at 5.35am on Thursday March 19.
The man and woman were seen on the left side of Melrosegate bridge by the cyclist, who was crossing the bridge at the time. Det Supt Galloway stated that “We don’t know if it was Claudia. All we know is that she has mousey brown hair, though we don’t know the length.”
He also added that “She is also wearing a blue, waist-length jacket with buttons and pockets and we know Claudia had similar clothing to that. She is a young woman and it is a significant sighting at the right time in the right location.”
The woman was standing with her back to the grey railing by the electricity station, and was facing the man who was about three or four feet away. The man was holding a cigarette in his left hand, thought to be unusual behaviour, and he took a drag from the cigarette as the cyclist passed. The man is described as skinny with undetermined age.
The man was dressed in a “black or dark-coloured hooded top, with the hood up, and dark combat trousers with pockets and buttons on either side.” There was no specific trauma or agitation noticeable.
Lawrence has not been in contact with friends or family since 8.23pm on Wednesday, March 18.
Crimestoppers have this week offered a reward of £10,000 in an attempt to encourage people to help the police in their inquiries.
Anybody with information should contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247
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“The man and woman were seen on the left side of Melrosegate bridge by the cyclist, who was crossing the bridge at the time.”
Stating the side of the bridge is pretty useless without also saying which direction was the cyclist travelling in.
From the police appeal:
“Officers would like to trace a man and woman who were seen by a passing cyclist at around 5:35am on Thursday 19 March on Melrosegate Bridge. They were stood near to the electricity sub-station. The woman was facing the road with her back towards the grey railings (not up against them), the man was facing her, around 2-3 feet away.The cyclist was travelling from Rawdon Avenue towards Heworth Road, the couple were seen to the cyclist’s left about half-way between the the beginning of the cycle lane and the first tree on the verge.”
http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1928
From the police appeal:
“He was also smoking a cigarette – held in his left hand, suggesting he was left-handed.”
I am right-handed and a smoker. I hold cigarette almost always in left hand, leaving my right hand uncommitted and available for more demanding tasks, like holding a pen or moving a mouse.