Third dead prostitute was strangled

LONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) Police hunting a possible serial killer targeting prostitutes in and around Ipswich today named a third victim and said the 24-year-old had been strangled.

The naked body of Anneli Alderton was discovered in woodland to the east of the city on Sunday. She had last been seen alive on a train a week earlier.

The discovery of her body brought the number of dead prostitutes in the area to three while two more local street walkers are missing.

Detective Chief Superintendent Stewart Gull said a post mortem carried out last night showed Alderton's cause of death was asphyxiation.

''It appears she was strangled,'' he told reporters. ''Further tests are being carried out to discover more exact details about how Anneli died.'' ''At this stage, it is not known if she had been sexually assaulted.'' He said Alderton, along with two other women who have been found murdered around the city, had worked as prostitutes.

Officers are still only linking two murders -- those of Gemma Adams, 25, and 19-year-old Tania Nicol whose naked bodies were found to the west of the city.

''Although there are obvious similarities to the murders of Gemma and Tania, we need to carry out further work to establish whether these deaths are linked,'' Gull said.

There were no signs that Adams and Nicol were asphyxiated.

Adams' body was found in a stream on December 2 and on December 8 police divers found the remains of Nicol in the same stretch of water.

The detective said police were also ''gravely concerned'' about the welfare of two other missing prostitutes.

There has been no news of Paula Clennell, 24, who has not been seen since Saturday nor of 29-year-old Annette Nicholls, who has been missing for at least a week.

The deaths and disappearances have spread panic in the back streets of Ipswich as sex workers heeded police warnings to stay at home.

Earlier today, Gull said he believed they may have vital information that could help identify the murderer.

''I am convinced the working prostitutes in Ipswich probably hold the key as to who is responsible,'' he said. ''They need to contact Suffolk Police with any suspicions they may have.'' Reuters SHB VV1933