Families' tribute to vice girls feared murdered

ONE of the three prostitutes feared murdered was described as a "bubbly, lovely" person while another was said to be more "like a sister more than a mum" as friends and family paid tribute yesterday.

More on the Bradford killings, with video

Flowers were left near the homes of Shelley Armitage, Susan Rushworth and Suzanne Blamires as charity workers warned prostitutes in the area were now very frightened about going out, although some still had to do so.

Friends said each of the three women had suffered deeply troubled lives, but Miss Rushworth's daughter Kirsty said her mother would always try to help others.

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She said: "Even though she used to take drugs and stuff, my friends always used to have a laugh with her and she'd give her right arm to anybody.

"She wasn't like all these other druggies. She was just completely different. She was like a sister more than a mum."

A volunteer helping Bradford's sex workers, Emile, who did not want to give his second name, and said he met Miss Armitage through his involvement with a charity soup kitchen in the red-light area.

He said: "She was bubbly, lovely, a really nice person. She would always say Hi, always doing something, always got friends."

The 27-year-old said he last saw her a few weeks ago.

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He explained that the Catholic soup kitchen was a place where prostitutes could relax and they were shocked when posters went up locally saying Miss Armitage was missing.

Emile said that before the disappearance there was no sense of fear among the prostitutes.

"Some of them are still doing it but obviously they're reluctant."

Miss Armitage worked the Rebecca Street area of Bradford. The 31-year-old lived in Bentcliff Walk in Allerton and knew Miss Blamires, who lived three streets away in a ground-floor housing association flat in Barkston Walk.

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A 30-year-old woman, who didn't want to be identified, said she had known Miss Blamires, 36, since schooldays.

After laying a bunch of flowers at her door she said: "Sue had learning difficulties and always walked around with her head down and would just grunt at you if you tried to talk to her. She had a boyfriend but I don't think it was a very happy relationship.

"Everyone knows her round here, she has been on the estate for ever. She has had an awful life, to be honest. She was downtrodden and had no confidence.

"Shelley was different – a much more together person whose life sadly went downhill after she developed a drink problem."

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Miss Rushworth, a mother-of-three and grandmother, vanished almost a year ago. The 43-year-old heroin addict had spent the evening of June 21 with her family in Thornton. She was seen the following day but despite a number of emotional appeals from her son James and Kirsty as well as police searches nothing has been seen of her since.

Her mobile phone and bank account has not been touched and she took no medication to control her epilepsy or heroin addiction with her.

Neighbours at her home in Oak Villas, Manningham, said she used to visit elderly residents at Oak Lodge old people's home.

A man who wanted only to be known as Jason said he knew both Miss Armitage and Miss Rushworth.

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He said: "Shelley was bubbly and outgoing, she liked to be the centre of attention. Susan was rather quiet.

"Shelley used to sit with us all up at Fountains Hall chemist."

He said he saw Miss Armitage the day before she went missing at the methadone clinic with her boyfriend, Craig Preston.

"They lived together. He is pretty cut up about it. I saw Craig yesterday. He's cut up about it, depressed."

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Jason said when he last saw Miss Armitage they were talking about "the usual stuff, having a laugh and that, trying to find out where the next bit of money is coming from."

He added: "It's cut us all up. She's a good friend."

A next door neighbour of Miss Armitage, Robert Frost, 50, said she had only moved into her home just before Christmas.

"I didn't know what she did for a living, she seemed a nice enough, pleasant girl. She would borrow a cup of sugar and milk occasionally and sent me a Christmas card but that was about it. I could hear her dog, a Staffordshire terrier called Tess, barking now and again."

'She wanted to change her life'

A charity worker has revealed missing prostitute Shelley Armitage had tried to beat her drug addiction and escape the sex industry.

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Brian Hendlesby said the 31-year-old had applied to attend a rehabilitation course to escape prostitution.

Mr Hendlesby, 50, is the chief operating officer at Teen Challenge, a charity which offers homeless people and prostitutes a chance at turning their lives around and tackling addictions.

"I first met Shelley about two years ago," he said. "We used to see her quite a lot and six months ago she even signed this form ready to finally leave prostitution behind and go down to Swansea for this course.

"She'd had enough and was ready to have a fresh start but then she changed her mind and that was it. She said that she couldn't leave her boyfriend behind."

Events that led to murder charges

MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2009

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11.30am – Susan Rushworth, 43, is seen getting on to a single-deck bus, near the Tyke Public House in Thornton Road, Bradford

12pm – Last confirmed sighting of Ms Rushworth in the Manningham area, near her flat on Oak Villas, after getting off the bus. The mother-of-three, who suffers from epilepsy and is getting treatment for heroin addiction, does not contact her family or use her phone again.

MONDAY, JULY 6, 2009

Ms Rushworth's 23-year-old son James makes a public appeal for information about his mother's disappearance.

MONDAY, JULY 20, 2009

Police make a fresh appeal for information.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2009

Detectives say they are growing increasingly concerned about Ms Rushworth, two months after she disappeared.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

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Police make another appeal for information about Ms Rushworth to mark three-month anniversary of her disappearance.

MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2010

7pm – Shelley Armitage, 31, leaves her flat on Bentcliffe Walk, Allerton, with a friend and has food in City Road before moving towards Sunbridge Road and Rebecca Street.

10pm to early hours of Tuesday morning – Ms Armitage last seen in Rebecca Street, in Bradford city centre.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010

Ms Armitage reported missing to police.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2010

Police launch poster appeal to help trace Ms Armitage. The poster states that police are extremely concerned for her safety.

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2010

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Police release closed circuit TV footage showing Ms Armitage walking short way along street in Bradford before turning round and retracing her steps at around 10.10pm on Monday, April 26.

Officers say detailed searches of Bell Dean Road, in Bradford, have been conducted for clues to the 31-year-old's disappearance. Inquiries have also taken place in Huddersfield, where Ms Armitage worked the year before. Detectives say Ms Armitage has failed to claim her benefits or use her mobile phone since her disappearance.

FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010

Suzanne Blamires from Allerton, Bradford, disappears in the city.

TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2010

2pm – Member of public finds body parts in River Aire, in Shipley. Remains are not identified but are thought to belong to one woman.

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2010

Body parts found in river are confirmed as belonging to Ms Blamires. Stephen Griffiths charged with the murders of Suzanne Blamires, Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth.

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