Claudia Lawrence’s mum Joan says she believes her daughter is still alive and may have been abducted

THE MOTHER OF CLAUDIA LAWRENCE, WHO DISAPPEARED NINE YEARS AGO, SAYS SHE BELIEVES HER DAUGHTER IS STILL ALIVE.

The mum of missing Claudia Lawrence says ‘there’s a permanent sadness’ since her beloved daughter vanished nine years ago.

Claudia was last seen near her home in Heworth, York on the evening of March 18 2009.

The 35-year-old, who worked as a chef at the University of York, had spoken to her mother on the phone that night. When she failed to turn up for work the following day though, colleagues raised the alarm.

Police have said they believe the 35-year-old chef was murdered, although no body has been found.

Joan Lawrence says she has her own theory on what may have happened to her.

'I think she's possibly being held somewhere. When I was coming here this morning, I was thinking that if she's being held somewhere in a room and there's a television, could she be seeing this?'

'I just don't know. I just wonder if she can see me, but she's got no phone or money so how can she contact us?'

Joan also thanked Janet Street-Porter after she wrote an article condemning the way Claudia was being described in the press at the time.

Janet said she thought Claudia wasn't getting a fair hearing.

'I felt so strongly and I read the way that your daughter was being described and there was all sorts of assumptions being made about her social life.'

North Yorkshire Police are urging anyone with information on the individuals featured in the CCTV to get in contact with them by calling them on 101, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Watch the full chat in the video above.