NORTH Yorkshire Police have put an end to speculation that a serial killer may have been responsible for the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence – following comments from a former senior investigating officer.

Former Detective Superintendent with Wiltshire Police, Steve Fulcher, recently suggested that the York chef could have been killed by minicab driver Christopher Halliwell. The senior detective arrested Halliwell for the murder of 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan and 20-year-old Becky Godden. He believed Claudia could also have been killed by Halliwell, on the basis that his father lived close to where she disappeared in York in 2009.

But now North Yorkshire Police have confirmed that Halliwell’s father was not a resident of York or the North Yorkshire area and passed away in 1992.

A spokesman for the police force said: “North Yorkshire Police’s Major Crime Unit has shared information with the investigation team from Wiltshire Police which established that Halliwell’s father was not a resident of York or the North Yorkshire area. He also passed away in 1992.

“It can be confirmed that on the information provided by Wiltshire Police, there are no known links between Halliwell and the Claudia Lawrence case.

“The Senior Investigating Officer in the Claudia Lawrence investigation has been in contact with both Joan and Peter Lawrence following last weekend’s speculation of these links, particularly that Halliwell’s dad lived around the corner. This type of speculation does not help the family.”

Following the speculation, Peter Lawrence’s friend and spokesman issued a statement reiterating their appeal for whoever was responsible for Claudia’s death to come clean with the police and end her family’s ongoing misery.

Martin Dales, Peter Lawrence’s friend and spokesman, said: “It is nearly four million minutes since Claudia Lawrence was last in contact with her family and friends which has proved an ongoing nightmare particularly for parents Joan and Peter and sister Ali as they wait for news of her whereabouts.

“I know that North Yorkshire Police have worked tirelessly to try and find the answer and no doubt this involves liaising with other UK forces and agencies but it is now high time whoever is responsible for Claudia’s disappearance came clean with the police so that there can be some closure – how can someone be so cruel and callous for all this length of time? Every minute without Claudia is too long.”