THE mother of missing woman Claudia Lawrence said she was "totally shocked" to hear claims her daughter may have been the victim of convicted murderer Christopher Halliwell.

Joan Lawrence, who lives in Norton, said she knew nothing about the allegations, made by former detective superintendent Steve Fulcher, that Halliwell, 52, may have killed Claudia along with other women.

Halliwell, a taxi driver, admitted the murder of Sian O'Callagah and was convicted last week of murdering Becky Godden in 2003.

Mrs Lawrence said: "I was totally shocked when I head the news on Sunday as I hadn't heard anything from the police and knew nothing about this. I certainly would have liked a bit of warning.

"I continue to remain in limbo, it is such an awful situation to be in. I am not sleeping well and keep going over and over things in my mind.

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"All the time I am wondering what has happened to Claudia and I can't bear to think that someone may have done something to her. Any mum will know what that is like. It is very, very difficult and really hard to get through each day but I am also lucky to live in such a small and caring community."

Mr Fulcher told the Sunday Express: “Claudia Lawrence disappeared from York seven years ago. Halliwell’s father lived a few streets away from where Claudia went missing.

“It fits his pattern of behaviour - abducting women walking alone either late at night or early in the morning.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said yesterday: “The investigation team is aware of this matter and they will carefully assess the information in line with the ongoing review of the Claudia Lawrence case.

“However, to be clear, the team is not aware of any evidence that would link this individual to the disappearance and suspected murder of Claudia.”

Claudia has not been seen since March 2009. She spoke to her parents by phone on the evening of March 18 but did not turn up for her early shift the next morning at the University of York, where she was a chef.

After a major case review in 2014, several arrests were made, but the Crown Prosecution Service told North Yorkshire Police the case was not strong enough to take to court.

Martin Dales, friend and spokesman for Claudia’s father, Peter Lawrence, responded to Mr Fulcher’s remarks. He said: “It has been an ongoing nightmare, particularly for parents Joan and Peter and sister Ali, as they wait for news of her whereabouts.

“I know North Yorkshire Police have worked tirelessly to find the answer, but it is high time whoever is responsible for Claudia’s disappearance came clean. How can someone be so cruel for this length of time?”  

He added: “I think the retired officer in question has a detailed knowledge of things. The overriding point is really whoever has done whatever to Claudia, it has been an incredibly long time.

“It’s a heartbreaking period to go without somebody and we hope this will come to some conclusion - whether this is it is for other people to find out.

“There are pluses and minuses of thinking: ‘Are we going to get some sort of conclusion or is this just another false dawn?’ All the time, Claudia is still not here. It’s got to be thoroughly checked out.”

Halliwell, formerly of Nythe, in Swindon, was serving a life sentence for the murder of Miss O’Callaghan, 22, in March 2011. He was then sentenced last week to life for the killing of Becky Godden, 20, in 2003.

Miss Godden’s mother Karen Edwards, told the Mail On Sunday her own inquiries into Halliwell’s background found that the date when Claudia went missing, exactly two years before he abducted Miss O’Callaghan, could be significant.

“I believe he has been up and down the country murdering young women,” Mrs Edwards said.

“He used to be a groundworker up north - I know somebody who worked with him on the same building site.

“Serial killers are usually triggered by dates. That was the day that Halliwell broke up with one of his partners.”

She said Halliwell was familiar with York and said he matched the description of a man police have long sought in connection with Claudia’s disappearance.

A witness saw a man with a woman on Melrosegate Bridge at about 5.35am on March 19. He was smoking a cigarette with his left hand, and was described as about 5ft 6ins tall with a skinny build.

He was wearing a dark hooded top with the hood up, and dark-coloured combat trousers with pockets on the side.

Halliwell is said to match the description and is left-handed and smokes.