VIDEO AT Ipswich Crown Court today, Steve Wright was convicted of the murders of Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls.

AT Ipswich Crown Court today, Steve Wright was convicted of the murders of Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls.

After the trial Detective Chief Superintendent Stewart Gull who headed the investigation into the murders gave a statement outside the court.

He said: “Steve Wright has today been found guilty of the murders of Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls. The murders of these vulnerable young women left five families devastated. Our sympathies are with them. We can only imagine the grief of the families who lost their loved ones in such brutal circumstances but I hope that today's guilty verdict on their killer brings a little comfort to them.

“These appalling crimes left a community, a county and a nation in a state of profound shock.

“They left Suffolk Constabulary facing the most daunting challenge in its history. At its peak, there were more than 600 police officers and staff from both Suffolk and other police forces, involved in the investigation into the murders. These enquiries were helped by the public, who made more than 12,000 calls, offering us information.

“Today's verdicts demonstrate how the combination of traditional police work and information from the public coupled with cutting edge DNA science can be so effective in today's crime investigations.

“I would like to thank all the police officers and staff both in Suffolk and in other forces across the country who helped us with this complex investigation. They gelled quickly as a team, in the most testing of circumstances, and demonstrated exceptional commitment and dedication throughout. Thanks go to our partner agencies and organisations, who offered us so much assistance. I would also like to thank the media for publishing our appeals for information and, finally, I would like to thank the local community not only did they phone in their thousands to offer information, they showed their support of our investigation in countless different ways.”