THE best friend of Claudia Lawrence has said she finds it hard to believe the woman she knew had been out with a boyfriend into the early hours of the morning only days before she vanished.

Suzy Cooper said she knew nothing of the boyfriend a colleague has told police Claudia was out with until 4.30am on March 17 last year, and could not understand why this information had only just emerged.

She said: “If this happened a couple of days before she went missing then that is really significant, and I find it quite hard to believe that this colleague has waited until exactly a year after she’s missing to tell the police about this conversation.

“We know people’s memories can be jogged by certain things, but something as crucial as that? I’m quite sceptical. I can’t say it didn’t happen, but from what I know about Claudia it is highly unlikely.”

Suzy, 45, said she had no idea who this “boyfriend” could be, as she had not been aware the 36-year-old was in any relationship.

She said she also found it hard to believe Claudia would have been out until 4.30am on March 17, when her shift at the University of York’s Roger Kirk Centre canteen began at 6am.

“If she came out on a night when she was on an early shift the following morning she would always be looking at the clock at 11pm and moaning that she was going to be so tired the next day.

“I’m not discrediting what the police have said, but at the same time my initial reaction is that it just doesn’t add up. It’s all a bit far-fetched.” Suzy said she was also baffled by this week’s revelation that police knew Claudia to have been in a casual relationship with a man from York.

The man, who himself was involved in a long-term relationship with another woman, is not believed to be the boyfriend Claudia was with two nights before she went missing on March 18.

Suzy said: “I didn’t know Claudia was seeing someone casually. I thought I knew everything about her, and then I found out that I didn’t.

“That is hard for me to accept, but now I’ve thought about it in realistic terms, it’s not actually that unusual. She didn’t have to tell me everything.”

Suzy, who works as an administrator, admitted her friend had been in relationships with married men in the past, but insisted she was not a “scarlet woman”.

She said: “Obviously I’m constantly going to defend her reputation because I would like people to know who she really is. She’s a really sweet, lovely woman, and wouldn’t purposefully hurt anybody.”

Suzy said she wished the focus would be taken off Claudia’s relationships, as she was concerned other possible avenues would not be explored.

If you have information to help the investigation, phone North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


Father says lead is ‘far too late’

THE father of missing chef Claudia Lawrence said new information about his daughter’s disappearance had come out “far too late”.

Peter Lawrence said he was astounded information had only just been given to the police.

“It’s far too late,” said Mr Lawrence. "It's unbelievable, in fact, that someone who has previously been interviewed by the police has suddenly remembered that he had a conversation with Claudia the day before she disappeared.

“First of all, that in itself is unbelievable, and secondly the fact that Claudia – who was always tired with her very physical job and with her early shifts and went to bed at 9.30 at night by the latest during the week – apparently said she was up until about 4.30 in the morning.

“On the other hand, it’s another bit of information that’s come forward and it has to be investigated.”

Claudia’s mother, Joan, also said she knew nothing about the boyfriend her daughter was said to have been with two nights before her disappearance.

Speaking to GMTV, she said: “I miss her terribly. I just can’t tell you how much I miss her. The emptiness... there’s just that gap.” She said she hoped for even the smallest amount of information on her daughter because it would be “awful” to have another year like the previous one.

Meanwhile, Claudia’s older sister, Ali Sims, urged people to come forward with information – even if that meant compromising their existing relationships.

She told GMTV: “I am sure they will want to save their existing relationship. But I think they should put that aside... they need to come forward.”


Police focus on Claudia route

POLICE have been talking to people along the route that missing chef Claudia Lawrence was due to take to work a year ago today.

Detectives believe the 36-year-old has come to harm after meeting somebody she knew during this walk to work at the University of York, where she failed to arrive for her 6am shift on March 19 last year.

From 5.30am yesterday, a mobile police office was parked in Melrosegate – the road Claudia would have walked along.

Officers spent the day talking to passers-by, in a bid to jog memories and obtain further information about her disappearance.

They were due to return to Melrosegate again today to continue their inquiries.