Claire Holland: Search for Bristol woman missing since 2012

Police have started a major search for a woman missing since 2012.

Claire Holland, 32, from Lawrence Weston in Bristol, was last seen on the evening of 6 June, the day after the Queen's Diamond Jubilee weekend.

Avon and Somerset Police said they now had reason to believe her disappearance was "linked to a crime".

Ms Holland's mother Jackie Vaughan said the family was "desperate" to find out what happened to her as they said they were "in limbo" and needed closure.

"We thought maybe she wasn't well, so we tried to get in touch with her and she wasn't answering her phone. As the week went by other people became concerned as well," Mrs Vaughan said.

"I felt sick. It was horrible because you just don't know.

"She had so much going on in her life that she was looking forward to, and she was really proud that she was doing all these things.

"She had just moved into her new flat, she was painting and decorating. She was changing her life around."

The fact her bank account had not been used for a few days also sent alarm bells ringing for the family.

Avon and Somerset Police said it now needed the public's help with the investigation and had released new CCTV footage of Ms Holland as it began searches around the city.

It added that it was not linking the search for Ms Holland to the remains found in the Stockwood area of the city earlier this week, although they have yet to be identified.

Senior investigating officer Det Insp Darren Hannant asked the public to "cast their minds back" to the weekend of 2-5 June in 2012.

There was an extended bank holiday in honour of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

"CCTV shows Claire walking along Baldwin Street heading towards the Seamus O'Donnell's pub at around 21.30 BST on Wednesday, 6 June, but we don't have any footage showing where she went afterwards," he said.

"Staff have confirmed she did leave the pub later that evening just after closing time, around 23.15."

Det Insp Hannant said it was possible Ms Holland had headed towards the city's harbourside, but despite officers reviewing more than 1,000 hours of CCTV footage, they had not been able to spot her.

He said her disappearance was first treated as suspicious in 2019, when a 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of her murder.

The man, now 39, remains released under investigation.

"Claire had no known reason to go missing of her own accord and had made plans for the week following her disappearance," said Det Insp Hannant.

A specialist dive team will join the new searches starting in the city centre and will move to other areas of Bristol throughout the week.

Mrs Vaughan said she was "desperate" to know what had happened to her daughter.

"I want to know, her sisters want to know. We're in limbo. We need closure.

"If I'm out and I see somebody that looks like Claire, I'll speed up to see if it's her.

"It never goes away.

"Somebody must know where she is, or what's happened. "

People who were her Facebook friends in 2012 will also be sent messages by police.

Detectives from Avon and Somerset Police want to speak to anyone who was in Seamus O'Donnell's on the night Ms Holland was last seen, who might be able to identify who she spoke to that night in the pub.

The force is also interested in talking to anyone who might have seen her walking in the city after 23:00.

Officers want to hear from any friends of Ms Holland who might not have shared information in 2012, or might have heard something suspicious or unusual about her disappearance.

She is described as white, about 5ft (1.5m), of slim build, with shoulder-length brown hair, sometimes tied back in a ponytail.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact police.

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