A TEENAGE prostitute has told how she saw murder victim Annette Nicholls on the night she went missing.At last night's candlelit church service at St Peter's Church in Copdock in memory of the dead women, she said she has seen the 29-year-old walking along Yarmouth Road in Ipswich, towards Sainsbury's and she had seemed fine.

A TEENAGE prostitute has told how she saw murder victim Annette Nicholls on the night she went missing.

At last night's candlelit church service at St Peter's Church in Copdock in memory of the dead women, she said she has seen the 29-year-old walking along Yarmouth Road in Ipswich, towards Sainsbury's and she had seemed fine.

The teenager said Miss Nicholls, whose body was found at Levington on Tuesday was wearing a black jacket and black leggings and was alone at the time.

She said "I saw Annette last Thursday, she went missing that night. She was wearing a black jacket and leggings.

"I spoke to her and she was fine.''

The young prostitute said she was now too scared to go out. "I haven't been on the streets for three weeks, I don't think I will go out again.

"Somebody could do it again and even if the police do get him, there could be copycat attacks - it is not worth it,'' she said.

"All the girls are scared and hoping that police find the killer. But I also think most of the girls are too scared to go to the police.''

She said money was being given to prostitutes to help get them out of debt and methadone supplied to those hooked on cocaine and heroin.

The organisation Iceni, which works with people suffering from drug addiction and substance abuse, has been given money from donations gathered at several churches around the town.

The teenager said: "I never do drugs but I know a lot of the girls do.

"I can't believe that something like this is happening in Ipswich and to a lot of people we know. They were nice girls and at the end of the day they were still ordinary people.'' The youngster was joined at the service by 44-year-old Andrew Purdy, a property developer from Holbrook.

Mr Purdy said he had befriended many of the prostitutes and tried to help them. He said: "I just know them as friends really.

"All I do is just pull up in my car and chat. I think most of the girls are scared to go to the police. Somebody has told them that their clients will get arrested and now whoever is responsible has gone underground.''

Mr Purdy said of the dead women: "All five of them were lovely girls. It is so sad, two of them wanted to come off drugs, they both asked me to help them come off them.''

Referring to Paula Clennell, 24, of Ipswich, whose body was found a few hundred yards away from Miss Nicholls,he added: "I met Paula three to four weeks before this happened and she asked me to help her come off the drugs.

"She said to me, 'I know I have done wrong in the past, I know I have nicked money off you and I know I have got in with the wrong people - I want to get my life back'.''