There are fears that yet another Jack the Ripper-like serial killer, targetting prostitutes, is on the loose after human remains were discovered in a river yesterday.
A member of the public discovered the remains floating in the River Aire in Shipley, just outside Bradford, Britain's sixth largest city, in West Yorkshire.
An investigation is now under way as to whether the remains are linked to the disappearance of vice girls Shelley Armitage and Suzanne Blamires.
Inquiries are also continuing over the disappearance of Susan Rushworth, 43, who also worked as a prostitute and was last seen near her home in the Manningham area of Bradford on 22 June last year.
A 40-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of murdering all three women.
If all three women have been murdered, then the case could echo that of the five Ipswich prostitutes who were murdered by the killer known as the Suffolk Strangler between October and December 2006. The victims were Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell, Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol and Annette Nicholls.
In February 2008, the forklift truck driver Steve Wright was sentenced to die in gaol over the killings.
Serial killer fears as police searching for three missing prostitutes discover human remains dumped in river
By Daily Mail Reporter
26th May 2010
Daily Mail
Detectives hunting for three prostitutes were today examining human remains found floating in a river.
The body parts were discovered by a member of the public who spotted them floating in the River Aire in Shipley, West Yorkshire, yesterday.
Police said it was too early to say whether the grisly find can be linked to the disappearance of missing vice girls Shelley Armitage and Suzanne Blamires.
Missing: Prostitutes Suzanne Blamires, Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth have all disappeared from Bradford. A 40-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of their murders
Inquiries are also continuing over the disappearance of Susan Rushworth, 43, who also worked as a prostitute and was last seen near her home in the Manningham area of Bradford on 22 June last year.
Officers were alerted to the body parts in the river at 2pm yesterday and a team of police divers accompanied investigators to the scene.
They were joined by members of West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, which is carrying out separate inquiries to trace Miss Armitage, 31, and Miss Blamires, 36.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said during a press conference: 'It's a very thorough and painstaking inquiry into three missing women, all of them sex workers.
'The families of Rushworth, Blamires and Armitage are all being supported by our family liaison officers as the inquiry progresses.'
Grisly: Human remains were found floating in the River Aire in Shipley, West Yorkshire, yesterday afternoon
Investigation: Forensic officers gather evidence from the river and surrounding areas in Shipley
Miss Armitage has been missing since April 26. She was last seen on CCTV cameras in Bradford's red light area.
Miss Blamires has not been seen since last Friday.
The pair knew each other and lived just a few streets apart in nearby Bradford.
A police spokesman said: 'We were called by a member of the public to what are thought to be human remains in the river.
'We haven't yet been able to identify the remains and inquiries are continuing.'
Enlarge
Disappeared: Susan Rushworth was last seen in the Manningham area of Bradford on June 22 last year, Shelley Armitage was seen on April 26 in the red light district and Suzanne Blamires disappeared from the Allerton area on Friday
The body parts discovered are thought to be badly decomposed.
Separate searches for both missing women had been ongoing throughout the Bradford district during the day.
A 40-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of murdering all three women.
Police have been given more time to question the man, who was arrested on Monday, until tomorrow evening.
dailymail.co.uk
A member of the public discovered the remains floating in the River Aire in Shipley, just outside Bradford, Britain's sixth largest city, in West Yorkshire.
An investigation is now under way as to whether the remains are linked to the disappearance of vice girls Shelley Armitage and Suzanne Blamires.
Inquiries are also continuing over the disappearance of Susan Rushworth, 43, who also worked as a prostitute and was last seen near her home in the Manningham area of Bradford on 22 June last year.
A 40-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of murdering all three women.
If all three women have been murdered, then the case could echo that of the five Ipswich prostitutes who were murdered by the killer known as the Suffolk Strangler between October and December 2006. The victims were Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell, Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol and Annette Nicholls.
In February 2008, the forklift truck driver Steve Wright was sentenced to die in gaol over the killings.
Serial killer fears as police searching for three missing prostitutes discover human remains dumped in river
By Daily Mail Reporter
26th May 2010
Daily Mail
Detectives hunting for three prostitutes were today examining human remains found floating in a river.
The body parts were discovered by a member of the public who spotted them floating in the River Aire in Shipley, West Yorkshire, yesterday.
Police said it was too early to say whether the grisly find can be linked to the disappearance of missing vice girls Shelley Armitage and Suzanne Blamires.
Missing: Prostitutes Suzanne Blamires, Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth have all disappeared from Bradford. A 40-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of their murders
Inquiries are also continuing over the disappearance of Susan Rushworth, 43, who also worked as a prostitute and was last seen near her home in the Manningham area of Bradford on 22 June last year.
Officers were alerted to the body parts in the river at 2pm yesterday and a team of police divers accompanied investigators to the scene.
They were joined by members of West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, which is carrying out separate inquiries to trace Miss Armitage, 31, and Miss Blamires, 36.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said during a press conference: 'It's a very thorough and painstaking inquiry into three missing women, all of them sex workers.
'The families of Rushworth, Blamires and Armitage are all being supported by our family liaison officers as the inquiry progresses.'
Grisly: Human remains were found floating in the River Aire in Shipley, West Yorkshire, yesterday afternoon
Investigation: Forensic officers gather evidence from the river and surrounding areas in Shipley
Miss Armitage has been missing since April 26. She was last seen on CCTV cameras in Bradford's red light area.
Miss Blamires has not been seen since last Friday.
The pair knew each other and lived just a few streets apart in nearby Bradford.
A police spokesman said: 'We were called by a member of the public to what are thought to be human remains in the river.
'We haven't yet been able to identify the remains and inquiries are continuing.'
Enlarge
Disappeared: Susan Rushworth was last seen in the Manningham area of Bradford on June 22 last year, Shelley Armitage was seen on April 26 in the red light district and Suzanne Blamires disappeared from the Allerton area on Friday
The body parts discovered are thought to be badly decomposed.
Separate searches for both missing women had been ongoing throughout the Bradford district during the day.
A 40-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of murdering all three women.
Police have been given more time to question the man, who was arrested on Monday, until tomorrow evening.
dailymail.co.uk