Claudia Lawrence: Police bail murder suspect

A man arrested on suspicion of murdering missing York chef Claudia Lawrence has been released on bail.

The man, in his 50s, also from York, was arrested on Monday by police investigating the disappearance of Miss Lawrence in March 2009.

North Yorkshire Police said he had been released "to allow detectives time to follow up lines of inquiry".

Miss Lawrence's family have been informed about the development, the force said.

The 35-year-old disappeared after leaving her house in Heworth Road, York on 19 March in 2009. Her body has not been found.

Following the arrest on Monday police conducted searches at a property in an area of York.

North Yorkshire Police has urged people and the media not to identify the arrested man. The BBC understands the man has not been arrested before.

The force believes some people locally knew Miss Lawrence but have kept their relationship secret.

Some deliberately lied about a number of issues concerning their association with the chef, police said.

Det Supt Dai Malyn said he was "actively pursuing new leads" and his team has made "significant progress" since the force began reviewing the case in October 2013.

The review has led to a number of arrests but no-one has ever been charged.

Last month, detectives investigating the York University chef's disappearance re-examined an alleyway behind her home for fresh clues.

Further searches are being conducted and are expected to continue for the next few days.