Did the Yorkshire Ripper murder more people than we think?

A retired police intelligence officer believes he has compelling evidence to suggest he did.

Chris Clark has spent years researching 22 unsolved murders across the country, and believes they all bear the hallmark of Peter Sutcliffe, aka The Yorkshire Ripper.

Sutcliffe was jailed in 1981, and is currently serving life at Broadmoor High Security Psychiatric Hospital. He was convicted of the murder of 13 women and the attempted murder of 7 others.

In his book "The Yorkshire Ripper - The Secret Murders", Mr Clark explains that many of the methods used by Sutcliffe, were plainly evident in the unsolved cases. For example :

- Garotting, using rope or twine.

- Striking the victim on the back of the head with a heavy object.

- Displaying the body spreadeagled and covering it with their own clothes.

- Mutilating the body after death with a sharp object.

He's obtained copies of pathology reports that clearly state the injuries the victims sustained. But in some cases these reports weren't presented to the court, meaning the true nature of the murder wasn't made clear.In 1973 Wendy Sewell was battered to death in a cemetery in Bakewell, Derbyshire. A 17 year old handyman with learning difficulties, found her body and was subsequently arrested and charged with her murder.

Stephen Downing spent 27 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. His conviction was quashed in 2002. Chris Clark believes the attack was very similar to others Sutcliffe carried out in later years in Leeds and Bradford.

Even though Peter Sutcliffe is unlikely ever to be released. Chris Clark believes Police forces ought to take his findings seriously.