47 families wait for news of loved ones (From The Northern Echo)

47 families wait for news of loved ones

9:10am Thursday 30th December 2010 in Missing: Claudia Lawrence News By Daniel Howlett, Reporter (Darlington)

THERE is little in the way of festive cheer for 47 families in the region who are waiting for news of missing loved ones.

Of those missing, 19 are in the Northumbria police area, ten in Cleveland and two in County Durham.

In North Yorkshire, where 16 are missing, Claudia Lawrence, who vanished in York in March last year, is the most high-profile case.

Her father, Peter, 64, who is originally from Darlington, said: “It is now 21 months since Claudia disappeared.

There is absolutely no sign of her or any news of what happened to her.”

He spent Christmas with his other daughter, Ali Sims, son-in-law Danny, and grandchildren Luke and Joshua.

However, his experience must mirror many other families of those who remain missing.

He said: “We tried to make the festive period as normal as possible, especially with two young boys, but there are times, when it is just Ali and I, that I become extremely sad that Claudia is not here.”

Other families still waiting for news include those of John Chapman, 67, from the Carrville area of Durham. He was seen at 11am on Sunday, July 11, shopping in Dragon Lane, Gilesgate, Durham City.

He was wearing dark blue Umbro tracksuit bottoms and a white V-necked jumper on top of a white shirt.

He was seen between 5.30pm and 6pm walking along Pittington Lane in the direction of Pittington, possibly wearing a light beige long coat and carrying an orange rectangular bag.

He is 5ft 9in, with cropped ginger hair and a ruddy complexion, possibly wearing spectacles.

Shane Smith, from Seaham, east Durham, went into the sea in the Seaham Harbour area on April 22 after he set out in a kayak. He disappeared under the water at about 7.15pm.

A major search, involving the coastguard helicopter, coastguard boats and the police helicopter, was carried out.

Although the kayak and paddle were quickly recovered from the sea, there was no trace of Mr Smith, who had been wearing a white T-shirt.

Both Cleveland and Northumbria Police decided not to release details of the missing people in their area.

Martin Houghton-Brown, the chief executive of the charity Missing People, said: “Everyone at the charity is so grateful to the readers of The Northern Echo for helping to keep the search for vulnerable missing adults and children alive.

“As many as 75 per cent of the people publicised over the last year have been found – many of those directly – so please do get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police or the charity on 0500-700-700.