THE family of missing chef Claudia Lawrence last night reacted with delight to the news that a £10,000 reward for information has been renewed.

Two weeks ago, the withdrawal of the reward, offered by charity Crimestoppers, had left them shocked and devastated.

Yesterday, it was announced it had been reinstated for at least three months after a plea by police.

The man leading the inquiry, Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway, said they were grateful to the charity for its support.

He said: “The investigation remains active and lines of inquiry continue to be pursued.

“The reward offers an incentive to anyone out there who has yet to come forward with the crucial piece of information which will lead us to solving Claudia’s disappearance.

“It offers us a vital tool with which to boost the flow of information into the investigation and for that we are very grateful.”

Martin Dales, a spokesman for Claudia’s father, Peter, said the family were extremely relieved, and added: “It came as quite a shock when it was withdrawn, so Peter is delighted.

“This reward could be just what it takes to encourage someone to come forward and finally bring this mystery to an end.”

He said approaches were also being made to other sources in the hope of making the reward higher to tempt someone to come forward.

The reward is being offered for information provided to Crimestoppers that results in the arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for Claudia’s disappearance.

The chef, who would now be 36, was last seen in March last year after she finished a shift at York University.

Her parents were originally from Darlington, although she was brought up in Malton, North Yorkshire, before she moved to Heworth, York.

Despite one of the biggest investigations held in North Yorkshire for years, the circumstances around her disappearance are still a mystery and police are treating the case as suspected murder.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0845-60- 60-24-7 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.