A floral tribute claiming that missing chef Claudia Lawrence is “in the water” has been found near to a beauty spot.
The message was discovered by a member of the public late in January could provide clues to the whereabouts of the chef who went missing over a decade ago.
A photograph of the tribute shows a small bouquet of flowers which has been placed next to a laminated missing person’s photo of Claudia.
At the bottom of the page “she is in the water” is written in block capitals, with two arrows pointing in one direction.
There is also a separate note that which reads “god bless her” on one side of the page.
A spokesperson for her family, Martin Dales said the tribute was originally found on 28 January.
Speaking at a press conference today, he said: “It could be interpreted in all sorts of ways.
“There are clearly many parts that make up the jigsaw, and after 13 years it is high time the truth becomes clear and the public’s vigilance in reporting information is vital.
“Information is going to find the answers here. It’s really down to people to keep coming forward with information.
“I don’t know what to think. It’s an unusual situation for a member of the public to come across something like this.”
The exact location of the note has still not been disclosed, but it’s understood the tribute was not discovered at Sand Hutton gravel pits in Yorkshire, where investigations took place last September.
During September’s investigations, specialist officers conducted a fingertip examination of the site, which is located eight miles from where Claudia used to live.
In September around 30 police were involved in a search of the fishing site for clues. This included trimming back woodland near the two lakes, while specialist search teams also pumped water out of the pits around a week, with one lake at the site left almost empty.
No one has heard from Claudia since she called her mother Joan on the evening of 17 March 2009.
She failed to arrive for work at York University the next day and was reported missing by her father, Peter who died last year.
Mr Dales paid tribute to Mr Lawrence, with whom he had enjoyed a 40-year friendship, following the update.
He said: “He asked me to do this - to keep his daughter Claudia’s name in public lights and not forgotten by the authorities looking for her.
“On a personal level, I miss Peter hugely after nearly 40 years of friendship and over 12 years of seeking out with him what has happened to Claudia.”
The disappearance remains unexplained and is now treated by North Yorkshire Police as suspected murder.
Mr Lawrence spearheaded a nationwide search for his daughter Claudia, which cost police around £1 million over the last decade.
Nine people have been questioned, but no charges have ever been brought.
SWNS
