The arrest was made earlier this morning, and the man is now being held by police for questioning.
Claire, 32, of Lawrence Weston, was last seen leaving the Seamus O’Donnell’s pub in Bristol’s St Nicholas Street at around 11.15pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012. She went missing a few days later and has yet to be seen or heard from.
“Today’s operational activity marks a significant development in our investigation into Claire’s disappearance, which we continue to treat as suspicious,” Det Supt Darren Hannant said.
Due to specific new information, we’ve entered a new phase in our investigations and will be conducting a forensic-led search of a public house in Gordon Road, Clifton, beginning today. It is critical to emphasise that this search activity has nothing to do with the venue’s current or previous owners. The searches at the pub may take several days, and officers from the Neighbourhood Policing team will conduct additional reassurance patrols in the area to address any residents’ concerns. We’re keeping Claire’s family informed and providing them with any assistance or support they require through our specialist family liaison officers. Furthermore, we are urging anyone with information about Claire’s disappearance, no matter how insignificant, to come forward and speak with us right away. Take advantage of this opportunity to tell us what you know.” There is still an active appeal page on the Major Incident Public Reporting site that allows information to be provided online, which can be found here – or you can call 101 and give the call handler the reference number 5219172645, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. They never ask for your name or try to trace your phone call.
