Police phone line set up as Claudia Lawrence film shown

Miss Lawrence's disappearance is being treated as suspected murder

A dedicated phone line has been set up by police to coincide with a television documentary about missing York university chef Claudia Lawrence.

Missing - The Claudia Lawrence story was shown on Channel 4 on Friday night and follows her family in the 16 months since she was last seen.

The police search for Miss Lawrence was scaled down last month but officers said people could call with new leads.

Father Peter Lawrence said he hoped the programme would prompt new information.

Miss Lawrence, who was 35 years old when she went missing, was last seen leaving her workplace on 18 March 2009.

The force said the decision to reduce the resources allocated to the 16-month investigation had been taken after "detailed scrutiny".

Suspected murder

At its height, 100 officers were involved in the case. This was reduced to 50 officers after six months.

About 16 officers are now working on the case and the force said this would be reduced further to seven.

Miss Lawrence's disappearance is being treated as suspected murder.

Her sister, Ali Sims, said: "I just hope the programme is going to move people more than anything else, and let people into our lives and what it has been like over the last 16 months."

She added that she felt her sister was still alive.

"That's what keeps you going, the fact that she hasn't been found. You can live in hope."