Searches of gravel pits near York for missing Claudia to last several days
Police have confirmed new searches are taking place at Sand Hutton
Police investigating the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence say they expect searches in gravel pits to last several days.
The university chef went missing from York 12 years ago, and police believe she was murdered - though her body's never been found.
Yesterday, North Yorkshire Police confirmed new searches are taking place at Sand Hutton - around eight miles away from where she lived.
Ms Lawrence, who lived by herself in the Heworth area of York, was last seen on March 18 2009 and her disappearance has been the subject of widespread speculation.
North Yorkshire Police has conducted two investigations and questioned nine people in relation to her disappearance and suspected murder but no charges have ever been brought.
One resident of the area, who asked to remain anonymous, told the PA news agency: "You don't expect anything like that around here, but I guess you don't expect it anywhere really. I'm not worried or anything like that.
"A lot of people around here and throughout York have been aware of the story since she disappeared. I imagine people (in the community) will be shocked.
"If they find her, and it brings closure to the family, then it's got to be a good thing. At least they will know what's happened to her. It's just sad all round."
Earlier this year, Detective Superintendent Wayne Fox repeated North Yorkshire Police's belief that several people know, or have suspicions about, what happened to the 35-year-old.
He said some of the information received by the force "appears extremely interesting and sparks a whole new line of investigation", and he urged anyone providing this information to get back in touch with as much detail as possible.
Ms Lawrence's father, Peter, died earlier this year without knowing what happened to his daughter.
Mr Lawrence campaigned tirelessly to get answers to the puzzle of her disappearance and spent years arguing for what became the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Bill - also known as Claudia's Law - which allows relatives to take control of their missing loved ones' financial matters.
Martin Dales, a friend of Mr Lawrence, said he had "mixed emotions" about the latest investigations.
He said: "I was both shocked and pleased, it's hard to put it into words.
"Let's hope they can find some solution to this seemingly never-ending problem."
Mr Dales said this was the first development in the case since Mr Lawrence died and described the situation as "bittersweet".
He said: "He would have been supportive of what the police are doing, no question of that, as I am.
"If this is something that's going to turn into something that provides closure, whether good or bad, that's probably healthy. It's better for people to know than to sit around wondering what on earth has happened."
He added: "I hope there's a good reason behind these searches that produces some answers for everybody: the police, family, friends, everybody involved."
Police closed off a road outside the York Biotech Campus earlier on Tuesday.
Search activity could be seen taking place beyond the cordon around a mile from the main A64 road between York and Malton.
A number of police vans and an incident command unit trailer were parked along the side of the quiet, tree-lined road - and a number of areas of the forest were cordoned off with blue and white police tape.
Police officers, wearing black uniform, could be seen searching the undergrowth along a public bridleway through the forest.
The search area includes two former gravel pits, that are believed to have been used as fishing ponds since 1969.