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Hunt for chef's 'mystery boyfriend'
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The sister of missing Claudia Lawrence has urged people to come forward with information about the chef - even if means compromising their existing relationships.
As the Lawrence family marked the first anniversary of Miss Lawrence's disappearance, Ali Sims told GMTV: "I know that some people, if they were in a relationship and had a relationship with Claudia... I am sure they will want to save their existing relationship. But I think they should put that aside... they need to come forward."
Her plea came as detectives revealed Miss Lawrence spent the night with a mystery boyfriend two days before she went missing.
The detective leading the hunt for the missing 35-year-old said it is "critical" they speak to the man.
In a separate development, it was also revealed Miss Lawrence was involved in a long-term, casual sexual relationship with another man when she vanished. The man was in a long-term relationship with another woman, but is not believed to be the boyfriend Miss Lawrence was with a few nights before she went missing.
Miss Lawrence was last seen near her home in Heworth, York, on March 18 last year.
Ms Sims said of the anniversary: "It's been a difficult year. It was very raw at the start and with it being the anniversary it brings all of that back."
She also criticised some of the coverage about Miss Lawrence's alleged relationships, some of which have come to light since her disappearance. "I think it's just so unfair, she is not around to defend herself," her sister said. "It's almost gone out of control. She is single, she has had boyfriends, but she has not gone out to hurt people."
Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway described the latest development as "extremely hot intelligence". He said: "Critically, information has come to us only today whereby we understand that Claudia has told (someone) that she was actually out on one of the evenings, on one of the nights which immediately preceded her disappearance - out into the very early hours with what she described as a boyfriend and we are talking deep into the night, half past four or five o'clock in the morning.
"That is something we didn't know previously. I'm appealing (for that person to) please come forward because there is nothing suspicious in that, it is just the fact we do need to eliminate that person from our investigation."
Reader views (1)
'Mystery boyfriend'? A year on and no one has a clue where she went. I'm very surprised to hear that the police have only just learned of this link, which looks like the breakthrough they have been waiting for. I can only assume the tri cell phone tracking threw up some duds along the line.
- Ray Hollingsworth, England, 18/03/2010 08:01
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