Ipswich, the county town of Suffolk, has a population of 120,000. It lies on the main railway line from London to Norwich and is connected by road to the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich and to London.
The red light district, where the five women were known to work, is near the Portman Road football stadium on the western side of the town. Police have flooded the area with officers and are warning all women in the town not to go out alone.
Town gripped by shock and fear
HINTLESHAM, 2 DEC, GEMMA ADAMS
The naked body of Ipswich prostitute Gemma Adams, 25, was found in a brook near the village of Hintlesham by a member of the public. She had been missing since 15 November.
Police said Ms Adams was last seen wearing a black waterproof waist-length jacket with a hood, light blue jeans with studs on the pockets, a red top and white and chrome Nike trainers.
The cause of her death has not yet been confirmed.
Profile of Gemma AdamsReturn to top
Police divers searching the brook at Copdock found a second naked body near a mill. She was identified as Tania Nicol, 19, another prostitute missing since 30 October.
When she was last seen, she was wearing a light coloured top, mid-blue cut-off jeans, and pink sparkly high heeled shoes.
Ms Nicol's body was found in Belstead Brook - the same stretch of water as Gemma Adams but two miles away.
The area has been flooded recently and police have said it is possible the two bodies were dumped at the same time but floated apart.
Again, it is not yet clear how Ms Nicol died.
Profile of Tania NicolReturn to top
NACTON, 10 DEC, ANNELI ALDERTON
A walker found the body of a third prostitute, Anneli Alderton, 24, in woodland near the village of Nacton.
A motorist had seen her body on 7 December but thought it was a mannequin and failed to report it.
She had also been stripped and police later said she had been strangled.
Profile of Anneli AldertonReturn to top
LEVINGTON, 12 DEC, PAULA CLENNELL AND ANNETTE NICHOLLS
Police discovered the naked bodies of Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls in countryside near the village of Levington.
The first body was found by a member of the public and the second was spotted by police helicopter.
Ms Clennell, 24, who worked as a prostitute in Ipswich, had been missing since 9 December. She had been strangled.
Annette Nicholls, 29, had been missing since 4 December. Police have not yet confirmed how she died.
Profile of Paula ClennellProfile of Annette NichollsReturn to top
^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~21~RS~)