POLICE cordons preventing people from passing through London Road in Ipswich were removed today following police searches in a property there.However there was still a heavy police presence at the house belonging to Steve Wright - the man arrested for five murders in Ipswich.

POLICE cordons preventing people from passing through part of Ipswich's red-light area are no longer in place today following searches of 79 London Road.

However there was still a heavy police presence at the home of Steve Wright, the man arrested for the murder of five Ipswich women.

Scaffolding and plastic sheeting still covered the front and rear of the property and four officers stood within the front garden.

Over the weekend, one pedestrian said: “Police officers seemed to be taking the rubbish out of neighbouring bins and taking them away.

“I guess they will look through them as part of the investigation. It was a very strange thing to watch.”

Steve Wright was charged with the murder of Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls last Thursday.

He remains in police custody and is due to appear at Ipswich Crown Court on January 2.

Jubilee Close, in Trimley St Martin, remained cordoned off over Christmas with access only to those visiting residents in the close.

The property belonging to Tom Stephens, who was released on police bail until March after being arrested for the murder of the same five women, was still being searched.

Meanwhile, today Miss Nicol, of Woolverstone Close, Ipswich, was remembered as a polite young girl with dreams of opening her own hair-dressing salon.

Jack Wright, who befriended the 19-year-old during the last year of her life, said: “We would just sit and talk and watch telly. She really liked The X Factor and was a big fan of Catherine Tate.

“We used to sit and talk through our problems and fantasise about what we would do if we won the lottery.

“She always said she would like to open her own hairdressing salon.”

Mr Wright remembers a polite girl who would always go out of her way to help him, washing up after he had cooked dinner and even cleaning his bathroom for him on occasions.

He said: “She would mention her mum every week and would only ever speak of her with a great deal of affection and love.

“If her mum is thinking that it was some sort of lack of parenting that led Tania down this path then she is wrong. I don't think Tania ever viewed it that way.

“If her mum does read this I'd like to thank her for bringing someone so nice in to the world.”

Mr Wright said that, although he had his suspicions that Miss Nicol was using drugs, her habit was never immediately obvious.

He said: “She never gave me a sense that she had that sort of desperate craving that you would associate with someone who is a hard drugs user.

“If she ever borrowed money from me she would always give it straight back, and she never stole from me when she was in my flat.”

N If you knew any of the women who were killed and would like to pay a tribute telephone The Evening Star newsdesk on 01473 324788 or e-mail Starnews@eveningstar.co.uk