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Lake drained in hunt for missing chef Claudia Lawrence last seen 12 years ago

Police divers searchSand Hutton Gravel Pits, near York, in the search for Claudia Lawrence. August 26 2021.
The lake at Sand Hutton gravel pits, near York, is drained by police divers in the search for Claudia Lawrence (Picture: SWNS)

A fishing lake has been drained by police in the latest desperate search for Claudia Lawrence.

The 35-year-old chef was last seen more than a decade ago in March 2009, close to her home in Heworth, Yorkshire.

Detectives believe she was murdered after walking to work for a 6am shift at York University, although no body has ever been found.

Specialist officers were pictured scouring the Sand Hutton gravel pits and a lake, around eight miles from Claudia’s home.

Drone footage captures them on their hands and knees carrying out a fingertip examination of the lake’s bed.

Cadaver dogs trained to find human remains have also been called in to search through the surrounding woodland.

It appears the new search was triggered by a recent study of the land, with the results passed to police.

Claudia’s mum Joan said she is suffering ‘awful nightmares’ and begged anyone with information about her daughter’s disappearance to come forward.

Embargoed to 1730 Tuesday August 24 Undated handout file photo issued by North Yorkshire Police of Claudia Lawrence. Police looking for the missing university chef have begun a major search operation in gravel pits about eight miles from her home in York. North Yorkshire Police confirmed on Tuesday an operation has begun to search the gravel pits at Sand Hutton, to the east of York. Issue date: Tuesday August 24, 2021. PA Photo. Ms Lawrence went missing 12 years ago and police believe she was murdered, although no body has ever been found. See PA story POLICE Chef. Photo credit should read: North Yorkshire Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Claudia Lawrence went missing on her way to work in March 2009 (Picture: PA)
YORK, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Police search teams prepare to search through undergrowth as North Yorkshire Police investigate the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence at Sand Hutton Gravel Pits on August 26, 2021 in York, England. The popular fishing spot near York, is being searched by police investigating the suspected murder of Claudia Lawrence. The 35-year-old's disappearance has remained a mystery since she failed to turn up for work at the University of York in March 2009. North Yorkshire Police said its latest search at Sand Hutton gravel pits, about eight miles (13km) outside York, was expected to take a number of days. The force said it could not disclose what had led officers to the location. University chef Ms Lawrence was last seen at 15.05 on Wednesday 18 March walking towards her home on Heworth Road. The following day she failed to arrive for her job at Goodricke College. A friend who became concerned when she failed to meet at a local pub that evening contacted Ms Lawrence's father, who reported her missing on 20 March 2009. Her father, Peter Lawrence, died earlier this year without knowing what happened to his daughter. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Detectives suspect Claudia was murdered (Picture: Getty)
YORK, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Police officers conduct a search in woodland as North Yorkshire Police investigate the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence at Sand Hutton Gravel Pits on August 26, 2021 in York, England. The popular fishing spot near York, is being searched by police investigating the suspected murder of Claudia Lawrence. The 35-year-old's disappearance has remained a mystery since she failed to turn up for work at the University of York in March 2009. North Yorkshire Police said its latest search at Sand Hutton gravel pits, about eight miles (13km) outside York, was expected to take a number of days. The force said it could not disclose what had led officers to the location. University chef Ms Lawrence was last seen at 15.05 on Wednesday 18 March walking towards her home on Heworth Road. The following day she failed to arrive for her job at Goodricke College. A friend who became concerned when she failed to meet at a local pub that evening contacted Ms Lawrence's father, who reported her missing on 20 March 2009. Her father, Peter Lawrence, died earlier this year without knowing what happened to his daughter. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Police officers scour the forest for new clues (Picture: Getty)

‘As a mum, hearing about a lake being drained and a fingertip search being carried is just a nightmare,’ she told The Mirror.

‘No parent should ever have to endure this. I’m left wondering every day what is going on and what might be found.

‘Would it be her rucksack, her phone or anything at all?’  

Claudia’s family have urged detectives to question Christopher Halliwell, who is doing life in prison for murdering two other women.

Halliwell killed Sian O’Callaghan, 22, after abducting her in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 2007.

It was two years to the day before Claudia went missing on March 19, with it said to be a trigger because he’d been dumped on that date.

YORK, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Police search teams clear undergrowth as North Yorkshire Police investigate the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence at Sand Hutton Gravel Pits on August 26, 2021 in York, England. The popular fishing spot near York, is being searched by police investigating the suspected murder of Claudia Lawrence. The 35-year-old's disappearance has remained a mystery since she failed to turn up for work at the University of York in March 2009. North Yorkshire Police said its latest search at Sand Hutton gravel pits, about eight miles (13km) outside York, was expected to take a number of days. The force said it could not disclose what had led officers to the location. University chef Ms Lawrence was last seen at 15.05 on Wednesday 18 March walking towards her home on Heworth Road. The following day she failed to arrive for her job at Goodricke College. A friend who became concerned when she failed to meet at a local pub that evening contacted Ms Lawrence's father, who reported her missing on 20 March 2009. Her father, Peter Lawrence, died earlier this year without knowing what happened to his daughter. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Police clear the undergrowth surrounding the lake at Sand Hutton gravel pits (Picture: Getty)
Undated handout file photo issued by North Yorkshire Police of Claudia Lawrence with her father Peter. Police looking for the missing university chef have begun a major search operation in gravel pits about eight miles from her home in York. North Yorkshire Police confirmed on Tuesday an operation has begun to search the gravel pits at Sand Hutton, to the east of York. Issue date: Tuesday August 24, 2021. PA Photo. Ms Lawrence went missing 12 years ago and police believe she was murdered, although no body has ever been found. See PA story POLICE Chef. Photo credit should read: North Yorkshire Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Claudia Lawrence with her father Peter (Picture: PA)

The taxi driver also murdered Becky Godden-Edwards, 20, who went missing in 2003 and her remains were found in 2011.

North Yorkshire Police have previously quashed Halliwell’s link to Claudia after people claimed to have seen him in the York area before she vanished.

A source previously close to the investigation told The Sun it was believed Claudia’s killer was someone close to her.

The source said: ‘Some of the people interviewed by police were hiding something, they weren’t being completely truthful, that was clear.

‘That view didn’t change for several years, but obviously the breakthrough detectives wanted never came.’

But mum Joan, from Malton, North Yorkshire, feels the link has not been properly investigated.

She said: ‘Something has always bothered me about Halliwell and leaves me feeling very uneasy.’

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