Police have 'bunker mentality' claims missing woman's father

THE father of missing chef Claudia Lawrence has called for an urgent independent inquiry into the police investigation of his daughter's disappearance and suspected murder.

Peter Lawrence, 63, said North Yorkshire Police had developed a "bunker mentality" and were failing to engage with members of the public, some of whom had found the force to be "rude, abrupt and dismissive" when contacting it with information.

Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway, of North Yorkshire Police, said the force had received no complaints about its officers and announced it had voluntarily requested a review of the investigation by the National Policing Improvement Agency.

Ms Lawrence, who was 35 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen near her home in Heworth, York, on 18 March, 2009, and failed to arrive for her job as a chef at the University of York the following morning.

Yesterday, Mr Lawrence, a solicitor from Slingsby, North Yorkshire, said an independent inquiry and fresh personnel were needed.

A statement released by Mr Lawrence's spokesman Martin Dales said: "Over the past year, despite the great efforts of the police in devoting huge resources in terms of both police officers and support staff and spending over 600,000, we are clearly little further on in finding Claudia than on day one.

"Sadly, although the police continue to keep in touch with the family, they have developed a bunker mentality whereby they are not engaging with either the public or the media."