Accused stopped in red light area

Steve Wright denies murdering the five women

The man accused of murdering five women who were working as prostitutes was in Ipswich's red light area around the time they disappeared, a court heard.

Pc Alisa Newman said Steve Wright was stopped while driving his Ford Mondeo car through the town on 1 December.

She told jurors the car was "slow driving" through the area, but the accused said he did not realise he was in the red light district.

Mr Wright, 49, denies murder and is on trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, and Annette Nicholls disappeared while working the streets of Ipswich.

The women were all found in isolated areas around Ipswich

Their naked bodies were found over a period of 10 days in December 2006, dumped in isolated locations around Ipswich.

Pc Newman said Mr Wright's car was stopped at 0150 GMT in Civic Drive on 1 December.

She told him he had driven through a red light area, the court heard.

"In response, he said he wasn't aware it was the red light area and that he had not lived in the area long," Pc Newman told the court.

The court earlier heard from Pc Kerry Rumbellow who stopped Mr Wright on 20 November 2006 in Handford Road as part of checks 21 days after the disappearance of Miss Nicol.

She told the court she spoke to Mr Wright, who was in the car with his partner Pam, about Miss Nicol's disappearance.

The accused said he had not seen her and had no "useful information" about her disappearance or the red light area, the court was told.