THE mother of missing Malton chef Claudia Lawrence is planning to visit Ryedale Show next week in a new appeal for information about her daughter's disappearance.
It is now four months since the 35-year-old failed to turn up for her 6am shift at the University of York's Goodricke College and, in spite of a nationwide media appeal, £10,000 reward and one of the largest police operations in North Yorkshire Polic
e's history, she still has to be found.
Mrs Joan Lawrence, of Norton, hopes to visit the show on Tuesday to hand out leaflets and posters with the aim of jogging people's memories.
The leaflets, which have been produced by the charity Missing People, will also be available from the Mercury's trade stand at the show.
Mrs Lawrence told the Mercury of the heartache her disappearance was causing her. She said life had been "awful" since Claudia disappeared.
''I'm doing my best. Everyone thinks I'm doing brilliantly, but I don't know if I am or not because I have never had to do anything like this before. No two days are the same."
Mrs Lawrence added: ''She was not someone who would willingly go off on a jaunt on her own without saying anything at all.
''You think, where can she be? Is she being held against her will and if we get her back what type of effect is it going to have on her? For the rest of her life, probably.
''Is she abroad? Has someone kidnapped her? It's frustrating.
''I have some terrible days, terrible times, I really do.
''It is really extremely difficult to describe how I feel each day.
''I don't believe she is dead. I think I would know by instinct if she was.
''I miss her dreadfully. I miss meeting her, going out with her and all the general mother and daughter stuff.''
Her thoughts were echoed by Claudia's dad Peter, who said at a press conference on Monday: ''You cannot begin to imagine what the last four months have been like for me, for Claudia's mum and her sister.''
Crimestoppers has offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to
the conviction of those responsible for Miss Lawrence's disappearance.
If anyone has any information call North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Missing People on 0500 700 700.
