A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of murder by detectives investigating the disappearance of university chef Claudia Lawrence.
Claudia Lawrence last seen in CCTV footage in 2009[PA]Police said they have not ruled out further arrests after taking the man, aged 59, into custody.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Detectives investigating the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence have this morning arrested a 59-year-old man from York on suspicion of murder.
"Forensic examinations and searches are being conducted which are expected to be ongoing over a number of days. A car has also been seized as part of the inquiries.
"Claudia's family have been notified and are being supported by trained officers."
The spokesman added: "The investigation team would like to stress that Claudia has not been found. Police cannot rule out the possibility of further arrests in the future as the review continues."
Miss Lawrence's mother Joan, 70, said that she was "not getting her hopes up" in the wake of the arrest.
She said: "There seems to be a lot going on and there's a lot that the police haven't told me yet.
"I just haven't had time to take it all in.
"I don't know what this might mean but it's not the first time there's been a big development which has led to nothing. I'm not getting my hopes up just yet."
Police stressed that Miss Lawrence had still not been found [SWNS]Jen King, who was friends with Miss Lawrence, said that she still believed she might be alive.
She said: "I suppose I always thought they would find Claudia first and then bring whoever was responsible for what they did to her to justice.
"They still haven't found her, so I'm still holding on to hope that she might still be alive.
"But I feel sick, I feel really anxious. I'm in a real state. I'm just sitting here waiting for news, but I don't know what news I'm waiting for."
North Yorkshire Police launched a review of the investigation last year after a new major crime unit was established by the force.
It has always said that detectives believed the chef had been murdered.
Miss Lawrence, who worked at York University, was reported missing by her father Peter on March 20, 2009.
She was last seen walking home at 3.05pm on March 18, and that night she spoke to both her parents on the phone.
It is thought something happened to her after she left for work early on March 19.
Last year, the new investigation team conducted a detailed re-examination of Miss Lawrence's home in the Heworth area of York.
And, in March, senior officers announced a series of new lines of inquiry on the fifth anniversary of the day she failed to turn up for work.
The announcement coincided with a fresh appeal on BBC's Crimewatch.
They said the new forensic examination of her house uncovered the fingerprints of people who have not yet come forward.
Claudia's father Peter says it is "torture" not knowing what has happened to his daughter [ENTERPRISE]It's actually like a cancer and it just gets worse and worse because there’s no resolution until we know what happened to Claudia
A team led by Detective Superintendant Dai Malyn spent two months re-examining Miss Lawrence's home.
Police have said before that Miss Lawrence's mobile phone and rucksack have never been found.
Her father has mounted a five-year campaign to find his daughter.
At the anniversary of her disappearance in March, he discussed the "torture" his family had suffered through five years of not knowing what has happened to her.
Mr Lawrence said: "No one knows, unless they’re in the same position as us, what it means every day and, in fact, most nights - wondering, worrying, 'where are you Claudia, are you safe, is someone holding you, have you been hurt?'
"Even, of course, 'are you alive?'.'
"It’s now five years, which is over 1,800 of those days and nights. It is an awfully long time for anyone to be in this position. And it eats into you.
"It's actually like a cancer and it just gets worse and worse because there’s no resolution until we know what happened to Claudia."
Landlord George Forman, 47, who was a close friend of Miss Lawrence, said: "It's a shock after all these years to get news that someone has been arrested.
"We'd always held out hope that Claudia might be found alive, so if this arrest means she's been murdered then that's difficult to deal with. It will be very sad to get that news.
"But at the same time, it would be good to get some closure. It will be a relief to finally know what happened to her and it would be nice if we could have a funeral and give Claudia a good send off."
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