Was Claudia Lawrence murdered in her home by secret lover?

Police investigating the disappearance of chef Claudia Lawrence six years ago are today carrying out another search near her home after receiving a new lead.

The operation is focusing on the alley at the back of her house in York after the police chief in charge of the inquiry predicted more arrests 'in the coming weeks and months'.

The detective in charge of the new investigation has suggested Miss Lawrence may have been killed in her home on the night of March 18, 2009 by a secret lover who then left by the alleyway.

Nobody has seen or heard from Miss Lawrence since she returned from work in March 2009 and failed to return the following day. The university chef would have celebrated her 41st birthday on Friday. 

North Yorkshire Police officers and a sniffer dog focused on the dirt alleyway behind her red-bricked terrace home in Heworth Road, York, today, lifting paving slabs and moving bins.

Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn of North Yorkshire Police said: 'One hypothesis is something could have happened overnight with another person in the house and then the alleyway was an obvious way out.'

He added: 'I know people have lied to us. People may lie because they are in a relationship, and there could be a number of reasons why they are withholding information.

'We have significant leads, my team, and myself are determined that if anybody is lying to us we will be arresting people because I am convinced people have information which they are not telling us about. We need to eliminate people who have previously not come forward.'

Fingerprints have been lifted from Miss Lawrence's home and Det Supt Malyn said anybody who has had a relationship with her to contact the police. 

Miss Lawrence's father, Peter, today said it is 'dreadful' that people may have been lying to police investigating his daughter's disappearance.

He said: 'I heard that and it's obviously absolutely dreadful that anyone would do that.

'We know that people lie to the police but in a case like this that involves Claudia's disappearance and everyone can see what it's done to the the family... come on.' 

Speaking at his house in York, Mr Lawrence added: 'The police told me that they were going to be down there because they thought there was significance in the alleyway at the rear of the house - basically that's all I know.

'It's a criminal investigation and they need to be careful about what they say.

'I think it's just positive that they are looking, They've got a team out and they're still active and it keeps it in the public eye.'

Mr Lawrence said: 'Somebody clearly does know what happened and maybe from a misguided sense of loyalty they've kept quiet. Hopefully this very thorough investigation, and keeping it in the public, will make them change their mind.'

Mr Lawrence said: 'Friday is Claudia's 41st birthday, so that's the sixth birthday that we've had to do without her company and her jollity. It's a long time.

'It's difficult all the time but when there's a birthday, when you get the anniversaries and at Christmas it's just worse. Claudia ought to be with us. How might she have changed in six years? What have we missed in all that time?'

Fresh forensic examinations have also recently been carried out at Miss Lawrence's former home, which has remained empty since her disappearance. 

Det Supt Malyn said: 'The review remains very active and the team are currently working on a lead that may indicate the alleyway at the rear of Claudia's house is significant.

'I have always thought that if something happened to Claudia inside the house then the most obvious route out would be to use the alleyway.'