Second review of Claudia Lawrence investigation requested by North Yorks

North Yorkshire Police has called for a second review of the way it handled the case of missing chef, Claudia Lawrence.

It was revealed last week that North Yorkshire Police had requested the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) carry out a second external review of the case and is expected to report back in June.

The officer leading the Claudia Lawrence investigation said the decision to bring in the NPIA, which carried out an initial review last summer, was not a result of public pressure.

The disappearance of Miss Lawrence, who was 35 years old when she went missing, is being treated as suspected murder.

Last week, a family friend of the Lawrences, Martin Dales, commented to the press that although the police had continued to keep in touch with the family, they had developed a “bunker mentality” where they were not engaging with the public or the media.

He said some people who had offered information to the police said the attitude of the officers was “uncivil, rude, abrupt and dismissive”.

Miss Lawrence’s father, Paul Lawrence, has said that he does not agree with these comments and that he is satisfied with the force’s handling of the case. The force said only one complaint regarding the investigation has been received and that it did not regard incivility or rudeness of the staff working on the investigation.

Chief Superintendent Iain Spittal, chief of staff for North Yorkshire Police, said: “North Yorkshire Police is disappointed by the comments made by Mr Dales, particularly as they had not been sanctioned by Mr Lawrence or any other member of Claudia’s family prior to release, nor do they reflect Mr Lawrence’s views.   

“The investigation has, and continues to be, a thorough, professional but challenging inquiry.  Many calls have been made to the incident room over the course of the past year and thousands of lines of inquiry developed. Due to the volume, it is not always possible to provide feedback on every call.  
“Mr Lawrence has recently been personally briefed by the senior investigating officer and expressed his satisfaction over the conduct and progress of the investigation.

“We pride ourselves on good practice and seek to continually improve our service to our communities, which is why we have sought a further review by the NPIA.

Jeremy Holderness, chief executive of the police authority, added: “North Yorkshire Police Authority is exercising appropriate scrutiny on behalf of the public through updates given by the investigation team and are satisfied in the processes being undertaken.”

The Claudia Lawrence investigation is one of the largest ever carried out by North Yorkshire Police and has so far cost more than £600,000.