Abduction fears over missing chef

Fears are growing for the safety of a woman who went missing as she walked to work after detectives said they could not rule out the possibility she had been abducted. Claudia Lawrence, 35, of Heworth Road, York, was last seen on Wednesday afternoon at the University of York's Goodricke College and later spoke to her parents on the phone. North Yorkshire Police believe Miss Lawrence disappeared at around 5.30am the next morning after she left home to walk three miles to her job as a chef at the college. Miss Lawrence took no money, no bank cards or her passport and her family said her disappearance is out of character. Her father Peter Lawrence said the family was trapped in a "living nightmare" as he appealed for his daughter's safe return at a news conference. Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Pope said police were keeping an "open mind" about what had happened to Miss Lawrence but added: "It's certainly a possibility that an abduction could be involved but I have got nothing to suggest that. "She may have decided that she's had enough of living around here and gone away of her own free will but I have to keep an open mind that there might be some criminal activity involved." The detective described Miss Lawrence as "happy and sociable" and said she was not aware of her having any concerns or worries. Miss Lawrence had started walking to work recently after her car broke down but she failed to arrive on Thursday morning and missed an appointment to meet a friend who contacted Miss Lawrence's father. Miss Lawrence is described as white, around 5ft 6in and of slim build, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue skinny jeans and white trainers. She is thought to have been carrying a small blue or green rucksack containing her chef's whites.

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ITN | March 24, 2009

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