Video: Dad 'devastated' as Claudia reward is withdrawn

THE father of missing York chef Claudia Lawrence has spoken of his "devastation" as it was revealed that a cash reward for information was being dropped.

The decision, which emerged on the 18-month anniversary of Miss Lawrence's disappearance, means North Yorkshire Police will now remove their appeal posters from fleet vehicles because they refer to the reward.

Speaking outside his daughter's home in Heworth, York, Peter Lawrence, said: "The impression everybody will get is the team is being wound down, posters are being removed, the reward is being removed. The impression people will get, unless the police say otherwise, is the investigation has been abandoned."

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Crimestoppers put up the 10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for Miss Lawrence's disappearance shortly after she vanished.

Monday's development comes just weeks after police decided to scale back the suspected murder investigation.

Mr Lawrence, a solicitor, added: "I'm disappointed. I understand it is a charity and funds are limited. Personally I'm absolutely devastated the reward has not been renewed."

Miss Lawrence, a chef at York University, who was 35 when she went missing, was last seen leaving her workplace on March 18 2009.

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Crimestoppers said the first reward offer was made in April 2009.

A spokeswoman said: "These offers are for a period of three months and lapse automatically unless the senior investigating officer makes an application to renew. This case has been the subject of three renewals, the last one being 3 March 2010. This lapsed on 3 June 2010 and Crimestoppers has not received any further requests to renew."

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said: "We were able to renew the 10,000 reward every quarter; however, we were advised at the last renewal that this support would no longer continue."