Ipswich: Sex work in town with serial killer past is halved, police say

Insp Domenic Mann said street prostitution was "about class A drugs and desperate people doing desperate things"

Police say the number of sex workers operating in a red light area where a serial killer murdered five women has been cut in half.

In November, the BBC revealed prostitution had returned to Ipswich's streets, 15 years after Steve Wright killed five sex workers in the town.

Women told how they had been beaten, abducted and kidnapped by clients.

Suffolk Police said it had since cut the number of known sex workers operating in the area from 10 to five.

Police say they have started using enforcement action, such as arrests, against sex workers unwilling to engage with the police and Ipswich Borough Council

The area around Ipswich Town's stadium, including Portman Road, Sir Alf Ramsey Way, Handford Road and London Road, has historically been where women working as street prostitutes looked for customers.

"It is about class A drugs and desperate people doing desperate things. When you see what class A drugs do, it is horrific," said Insp Domenic Mann.

"They're in this area and obviously because of its historical connotations we certainly need to change that narrative around here.

"It [prostitution] is on the decrease which is where we want it to be going.

"We had about 10 females that were down here working on a fairly regular basis. We are happy that we've got it down to about five who are working here sporadically."

The Ipswich murders

The murders of Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Tania Nicol, Annette Nicholls and Paula Clennell put Ipswich under a national spotlight

Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls were murdered between 30 October and 10 December 2006. Steve Wright is serving a whole life jail term for killing the women, which means he will never be considered for release.

During the investigation and trial, it emerged all the victims had turned to sex work to fund their class A drug habits, touting for clients on the streets rather than in brothels.

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Tania Nicol, 19, was the youngest and first of Wright's victims. The former Chantry High School pupil went missing from the red light area near Ipswich Town FC's Portman Road ground on 30 October. Police divers found her body on 8 December in the Belstead Brook at Copdock, just south of the town.

Gemma Adams, 25, who had grown up in Kesgrave, was the second to go missing on 15 November. Her boyfriend of 10 years, Jon Simpson, reported her disappearance after she failed to respond to his text messages. Her body was found further upstream in the Belstead Brook at Hintlesham on 2 December 2006. Mr Simpson died of a drugs overdose in 2018.

Anneli Alderton, 24, went missing on 3 December 2006. Her naked body was found in woodland at Nacton seven days later, deliberately "posed" in a "cruciform" shape with arms outstretched. The former Copleston High School pupil was three months pregnant at the time of her death.

Annette Nicholls, 29, was last seen alive on 8 December 2006. Her naked body was also found in a "cruciform" pose, four days later. Her body was found along the Old Felixstowe Road at Levington.

Paula Clennell, 24, had last been seen alive on 10 December 2006. She had given a TV interview just days before her disappearance, admitting she was "wary" about getting into cars but had to fund her £500-a-day drug habit. She was found dead near Ms Nicholls on the same day.

In the aftermath of the murders, police said street prostitution had been all but eradicated.

But late last year, a number of reports were made highlighting its return to the town.

It is understood sex workers had been using a property in Canham Street, off Portman Road, to see clients and use class A drugs

A property in Canham Street was recently served with a closure order because of anti-social behaviour and prostitution.

It is understood sex workers had been using it to see clients and to take class A drugs.

"We've been increasing our patrols in the area which is making it safer for everybody around here and that will continue until everything is resolved," said Insp Mann.

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He said police had started taking enforcement action against sex workers who were not responding to the support being offered by the force and other agencies.

One women, he said, was spoken with twice and was now back with her family. He said she had not been seen working on the streets since.

By day Portman Road (pictured in 2005) was a normal street, by night it was known as Ipswich's red light district