Clarence Mitchell was speaking exactly two weeks after Miss Lawrence, 35, was last seen near her home in York after finishing work at the University of York's Goodricke College.

He said he believed her family, led by her Malton solicitor father Peter Lawrence, was doing the right thing by ensuring her image reached as wide an audience as possible while the media spotlight was so focused on the case.

Mr Mitchell told a radio station yesterday: "They'll be going through absolute hell, I'm quite sure. Obviously I wish the family well and I hope Claudia is found safe and well very soon."

Mr Mitchell, who has been the spokesman for Gerry and Kate McCann in their search for their daughter Madeleine, said the media spotlight on Miss Lawrence's family would add to the pressure on them, but he urged them to keep going.

Police have said they fear Miss Lawrence has come to harm and believe she may have been taken by somebody she knows. Part of the inquiry is focussing on piecing together her previous relationships.

Senior detectives made an appeal on the BBC's Crimewatch programme this week, which has generated more than 100 fresh calls to the incident room.