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Claudia police seek 'row' couple | Claudia police seek 'row' couple |
(10 minutes later) | |
Police searching for missing chef Claudia Lawrence say they are looking into "significant" lines of inquiry after two new witnesses came forward. | Police searching for missing chef Claudia Lawrence say they are looking into "significant" lines of inquiry after two new witnesses came forward. |
Miss Lawrence was last seen leaving the University of York's Goodricke College on 18 March. | |
At a news conference North Yorkshire Police said a man and woman were seen arguing near the university, where Miss Lawrence worked, early the next day. | |
Two men were also seen outside her home in the days before she disappeared. | |
Det Supt Ray Galloway said a motorist saw a man arguing with a woman on University Road at 0610 GMT on 19 March. | |
The pair were standing across the carriageway from a parked car. Police do not have a description of the man or woman or the vehicle. | |
Facebook claims | Facebook claims |
Mr Galloway said: "The man and woman appeared to be involved in some form of altercation. We think it was a verbal altercation. One of the doors is open, the passenger door of the vehicle. | |
"He [the witness] drives past and as he looks in his wing mirror, his rear view mirror, he actually believes the man is stood above the woman... as if he's on some form of banking. | |
"It's a significant line of inquiry which we wish to pursue." | |
Mr Galloway said it was a "key moment" for the inquiry team. | |
A second witness has come forward to say she saw two men outside Miss Lawrence's home on either 10 March or 13 March. | |
Police Facebook appeal for missing chef | |
One of the men was described as Asian, aged in his early 20s, 5ft 8in tall, of slim build and with a thin, pointed nose and dark areas beneath his eyes. He was described as nervous. | |
The second man was taller, with dark hair and a heavier build. | |
Mr Galloway said: "...One of the men, the Asian male, appears to try the door, whether it be with the key, or whether he's trying the door handle we're not absolutely certain. | Mr Galloway said: "...One of the men, the Asian male, appears to try the door, whether it be with the key, or whether he's trying the door handle we're not absolutely certain. |
"Now, we obviously need to know who the men are. They were watched by the witness for three or four minutes because she's in very slow moving traffic as she approaches the roundabout at Malton Road. | "Now, we obviously need to know who the men are. They were watched by the witness for three or four minutes because she's in very slow moving traffic as she approaches the roundabout at Malton Road. |
"But we don't know what they were there for. It could have been a legitimate reason, we don't know." | "But we don't know what they were there for. It could have been a legitimate reason, we don't know." |
Mr Galloway said people had been claiming to have information about Miss Lawrence and the case on the social networking website Facebook. | Mr Galloway said people had been claiming to have information about Miss Lawrence and the case on the social networking website Facebook. |
He said: "There is a significant amount of people who are contributing to that site. Now some of them are making what could potentially be useful information appeals or claiming that they have information that could be useful to the investigation. | |
"I would urge anybody that has any information that they are imparting on the Facebook site, please use the police hotline and contact us and allow us to contextualise the information and help take it forward." |