THE FATHER of Claudia Lawrence has said her family have spent more than 3,000 days “in pain” not knowing what happened to her.

It is nine years since Claudia Lawrence was reported missing from her home in York.

The chef was last seen on March 18, 2009 and was reported missing the following day when the then 35-year-old failed to turn up for work at the University of York.

In 2013 North Yorkshire Police announced its Major Crime Unit was to launch a review into her disappearance, which included an extensive forensic search of her home and surrounding area.

Four men from the York area were arrested on suspicion of her murder, but the case was later dropped when the Crown Prosecution Service declared there was insufficient evidence.

Speaking outside her terraced home in Heworth, York, Mr Lawrence said: “Believe it or not it’s nine years, this anniversary, since Claudia disappeared from her house just across the road. That’s something like 3,300 days and every day the family have been in pain by not knowing what happened to Claudia.

“So, it’s an awful long time and it’s so distressing that someone round here knows what happened to Claudia but is not saying anything.

“It’s something that’s very difficult for the family to contemplate but we now have – as I said – nine years.

“The problem as always is we don’t know what has happened.

“I know that she didn’t disappear of her own accord because she left her house across here without her handbag, without her jewellery, her bank card, driving licence and everything else and as her friends would say, Claudia would never go out from her house without her handbag and her jewellery unless she was just going to work, which she was due to do.”

Jen King, one of Claudia’s closest friends, at one point lived with Claudia in her Heworth home. She remembered that in March 2009 they had been watching the Cheltenham Races.

“She was just a down to earth, country girl living in the city, not too different from myself. She loved horses and horse racing,” she said.

“Around this time in 2009 we had just been watching the Cheltenham Races in the pub and having some drinks and bets.”

Jen said she was reminded of her friend every day.

“I have a picture of her in my house which I see every day and a vase she bought for my birthday. I’ve even still got the cards she wrote to me for Christmas and my birthday,” she said.

“If she’s gone, she’s gone we want to lay her to rest, if she’s not we want her back.”

Claudia’s mother, Joan Lawrence, who used to live in Darlington but now lives in Malton, described recently how she retrieves a box of cards from Claudia and places them on her mantlepiece every Mother’s Day, hoping her daughter will return.

Peter Lawrence also spoke of his frustration that long-awaited guardianship legislation to enable loved ones to take over control of the financial and legal affairs of missing people has still not been enforced.

Mr Lawrence has been campaigning for the legislation, dubbed Claudia’s Law, with the charity Missing People.

Last year the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Bill was passed by the House of Commons, but it has still not come into effect.

“We’re nine years on and in the meantime I have been trying to get legislation through parliament to enable families like us – 2,500 the Missing People charity says – to be able to look after their loved ones’ financial affairs.

“After three years we finally got the presumption of death act through, after another three years we finally got the Guardianship (Missing Persons) legislation through last May, but it’s still not enforced.

“I’m now told it might not be enforced for another year.

“The civil servants who are doing the secondary legislation are being diverted away and it’s just not good enough.

“Yes, Brexit has happened, but people still have to live. People are still suffering.”