Harold Shipman's wife has visited him for the first time since he was jailed for life for murdering 15 of his patients.

Primrose Shipman arrived at Manchester prison, where Shipman is being held during a period of assessment, in front of a waiting press pack.

Several newspapers have reported that Mrs Shipman is "standing by her husband" but she has made no public comment about the case.

Harold Shipman, a family GP in Hyde, Greater Manchester, for many years, is believed to be Britain's most prolific serial killer.

Aside from the 15 victims ascribed to him at Preston Crown Court, police are looking into more than 100 other deaths.

He was also found guilty of forging the will of Kathleen Grundy, one of his patients.

The 54-year-old GP killed his victims - none of whom was seriously ill - with an injection of diamorphine, the medical term for heroin.

The prosecution admitted during the 12-week trial there was no clear motive for Shipman's actions.

But there has been speculation since his conviction that Shipman, who has denied the charges throughout, enjoyed "playing God" with his patients' lives and was a bitter man who had not reached his ambitions.

Mrs Shipman, who attended most days of the trial, still lives in the house near Hyde where she lived with her husband.