Man arrested in Claudia Lawrence 'murder' case
DETECTIVES investigating the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence have arrested a man on suspicion of murder.
The suspect, aged in his 50s and from the York area, was arrested today - almost six years to the day since the York University chef went missing.
North Yorkshire Police confirmed searches were being carried out in relation to Ms Lawrence's disappearance and are expected to continue for a number of days.
Miss Lawrence's family have been told about the arrest and are being supported by trained officers, police added.
Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn stressed the important of not identifying the arrested man.
He said: "To ensure the investigation and legal process are not compromised or potentially damaged in any way during this critical phase in seeking the truth about Claudia's disappearance, North Yorkshire Police strongly advises the media and members of the public against identifying the man who has been arrested.
"This includes naming or publishing images of the man on traditional media platforms or social networking sites.
"I urge everyone to show restraint and patience while we carry out these very important inquiries."
Today Miss Lawrence's father, Peter, said: "It is encouraging to know that, following all the media activity over the last three weeks, from Claudia's 41st birthday to the sixth anniversary of her being missing, North Yorkshire Police continue to be active in seeking answers as to what has happened to Claudia.
"It is to be hoped that the matter can be resolved as soon as possible and I encourage people to continue to come forward with information to the police."
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
