NEW leads in the investigation into the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence are to be revealed in a Crimewatch appeal next week.

On the fifth anniversary of the disappearance of the York chef, North Yorkshire Police will announce fresh information about her last-known movements and appeal for help in finding two vehicles seen in the area at the time.

It follows a review of the case following the expansion of North Yorkshire Police’s major crime unit.

Part of the review involved crime scene investigators revisiting her home in the Heworth area of York towards the end of last year, to conduct another examination of the building.

Claudia, whose parents lived in Darlington before moving to Malton, where she was raised, was last seen alive by colleagues as she finished her shift at the University of York on March 18, 2009.

Last month marked what would have been her 40th birthday.

Her disappearance remains one of Britain’s highest profile unsolved crimes.

Her father, Peter Lawrence, who lives in York, has worked hard to keep his daughter’s image in the public eye in the hope that someone with a key piece of information may come forward.

Martin Dales, Peter Lawrence's friend and spokesman, said: "It is to be hoped that any new information that is forthcoming will result in the public coming forward to the police with the pieces of the jigsaw they desperately need to find Claudia."

To coincide with the fifth anniversary of Ms Lawrence’s disappearance, her image will appear on national digital billboards from Monday (March 17) as part of a national missing persons campaign.

The billboards are used by the charity Missing People in an initiative launched by Madeleine McCann’s mother Kate McCann in summer 2012.

Jo Youle, chief executive for Missing People said: “The billboards are such a powerful tool in searching for missing people and we hope that the digital appeal will help to find her on this sad anniversary.

“The thoughts of our staff and volunteers are with Claudia’s family at this time, which will be extremely difficult as they appeal once again for information that will bring Claudia home safely.”

Crimewatch will be broadcast on Wednesday, March 19, on BBC One at 9pm.