Author claims police have had eye-to-eye contact with killer

A writer who has been researching Ipswich’s red light scene for the last two years and was a client of murdered prostitute Anneli Alderton today said he was doing all he could to help police with their inquiries.

Ray Hollingsworth, 53, author of The Dirty Blonde at the Cash Machine, also said he believed police have already had “eye-to-eye contact” with the killer or killers.

Mr Hollingsworth, from Colchester, Essex, said: “I have been in touch with the police and I have sent them all the research work I have done. I want to provide any help I can.

“On Saturday I got in touch with the police because I saw the CCTV footage of Anneli. Until then I didn't realise I knew her because girls change their looks and these girls have about six different names.

“I was a client of Anneli’s about a year ago. I asked her what it stood for and she had to spell Anneli to me. I knew it was her.

“She was a great girl. I picked her up in Ipswich and I said to her: 'Do you want to come back to Colchester?' because I was researching all this stuff.

“Sometimes there was sex with these girls, but sometimes I just wanted to sit down for half an hour and talk to them and ask them questions for my books.”

Mr Hollingsworth said he had phoned the police hotline number to suggest places where prostitutes took clients in the area.

“There are over 200 places within a five-mile radius where they might go to have sex,” he said. “I suggested police should search the area around one hotel where the girls go to do their business."

Mr Hollingsworth said he had also helped police in their efforts to track the girls’ last known movements.

“Annette Nicholls was thought to have disappeared on the Tuesday, but she was with someone I knew on Thursday or Friday,” he said.

Mr Hollingsworth added: “I do think police have had eye-to-eye contact with the killer. I just feel it. I think the killer is known to them. It’s a feeling I have.”