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Claudia police delays questioned Claudia police delays questioned
(31 minutes later)
A friend of Claudia Lawrence has said she is surprised British police did not act sooner to investigate the missing chef's link to Cyprus. A friend of missing chef Claudia Lawrence said she is surprised British police did not act sooner to investigate a link to Cyprus.
North Yorkshire officers have been sent to the Mediterranean island to try to find people the 35-year-old knew. North Yorkshire officers have recently been sent to the Mediterranean island to try to find people she knew.
Miss Lawrence was last seen in York on 18 March this year. Suzy Cooper said she was surprised the visit had taken place so long after the last text message Miss Lawrence received was found to be from Cyprus.
It has emerged police traced the last text message she received to Cyprus in the early stages of the inquiry, but it has taken six months to visit. Police said the primary focus has always been in York.
Close friend Suzy Cooper told BBC Radio York that Miss Lawrence had travelled to an area called Peyia several times. At a news conference last week, Det Supt Ray Galloway revealed he believed the 35-year-old could be in Cyprus.
'Really comfortable' Claudia absolutely loved it there, really loved it. She said she felt really comfortable Miss Lawrence's friend Suzy Cooper
It emerged that early on in the investigation, detectives had traced the last text message Miss Lawrence received to the island.
It was sent just after 2100 BST on 18 March - the night she was last seen in York.
The detective said that man had been spoken to early in the inquiry, but as it progressed it had become apparent that Miss Lawrence knew other people on the island.
Close friend Suzy Cooper told BBC Radio York that Miss Lawrence had travelled several times to an area called Peyia.
'Primary focus'
"To be honest I'm surprised they [the police] have not gone a bit sooner, obviously because she had visited there quite a lot, met people and knew people over there.""To be honest I'm surprised they [the police] have not gone a bit sooner, obviously because she had visited there quite a lot, met people and knew people over there."
She added: "Claudia absolutely loved it there, really loved it. She said she felt really comfortable."She added: "Claudia absolutely loved it there, really loved it. She said she felt really comfortable."
Speaking at a press conference last week, Det Supt Ray Galloway revealed he believed Miss Lawrence could be in Cyprus. Mr Galloway said officers were sent to Cyprus when it was "necessary".
He said she had been planning a trip to the island and had received a text message from a man there at 2112 GMT on 18 March. "Enquiries have been conducted with people who knew or were in contact with Claudia since the earliest stages of the investigation, but the primary focus of the investigation has always been in York.
The detective said that man had been spoken to early in the investigation, but it had become apparent that Miss Lawrence knew other people on the island. "Only as further investigation revealed the extent of Claudia's contacts on the island did it become apparent that it would be necessary to send a team across there."
Mr Galloway said he had sent a team of officers to the island as part of the investigation.