A MAN who describes himself as a platonic friend of prostitutes in Ipswich today insisted he was not the serial killer stalking Suffolk.Detectives hunting the murderer of the five women had appealed for property developer Andrew Purdy to contact them after they heard of his close links with Ipswich's sex industry.

A MAN who describes himself as a platonic friend of prostitutes in Ipswich today insisted he was not the serial killer stalking Suffolk.

Detectives hunting the murderer of the five women had appealed for property developer Andrew Purdy to contact them after they heard of his close links with Ipswich's sex industry.

Today the 44-year-old stressed he was not involved in the killings and said he was not the fat man who drives a BMW who had featured in the police investigation.

Mr Purdy said: “I haven't done anything wrong.

“I want him found. I don't think he should be segregated when he goes to prison. I think he should be put in the main prison for them to deal with them.

“If he's found and sent to prison the only way I want him coming out of prison is in a wooden overcoat.”

He added: “I drive a Land Rover Freelander, I've never had a BMW.”

Mr Purdy had been at the centre of the media spotlight over the killings after he revealed details of his friendships with a number of Ipswich prostitutes.

Following a public appeal for him to come forward, he spent three hours talking to officers investigating the serial killer case at Ipswich police station yesterday.

Speaking to The Evening Star after the talks Mr Purdy pledged to provide any information he had about Ipswich's prostitutes and the killer preying on them.

He said he had become friends with Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton and Paula Clennell and had even arranged to meet Miss Alderton, who was three-months pregnant, this week after she approached him for help.

He said: “I saw Anneli on the Wednesday before she went missing, at the top of Sir Alf Ramsey Way. All she said to me was 'I want to talk to you because I want your help, but away from Ipswich' and we arranged to meet in Harwich this week.

“I think she knew she was pregnant. I think she wanted to sort her life out. She was happy.

“When it was announced she was pregnant I had to pull the car over and cry - that's six deaths.

“I think that could have been the trigger for her to turn her life around.”

Mr Purdy, who admits to using prostitutes for two years when he lived in Bristol, insisted he did not use the girls for sex, instead he claimed his motivation was to help them.

He said: “I know them just as platonic friends.

“I would just drive down there, if they wanted to talk to me they would stop. Either we would talk through the window or I would take them for a cup of coffee to McDonald's or Sainsbury's.

“Gemma was talking of getting her life started in her words to make her dad feel proud of his princess.

“She also did talk to me about going into rehab if it wasn't in Ipswich. She said 'then he won't know where I am'.

“I'd love to go to the funeral of every girl and I'd like to be a pallbearer or do anything the families want.

“I was crying at the memorial service on Friday.

“I have told the police what I'm doing and the police don't seem to be worried. They haven't told me to stop.

“I don't think I'm on a list as a suspect. They know I don't drive a BMW.”