Stephen Griffiths charged with murdering three prostitutes in Bradford (with video)

A FORMER public schoolboy accused of murdering three Yorkshire women will appear in court today as a major police investigation continues.

More on the Bradford killings, with video

Mature student Stephen Griffiths, 40, was charged last night with the murders of Suzanne Blamires, Shelley Armitage, 31, and Susan Rushworth, 43, who all went missing while working as prostitutes in Bradford.

Griffiths, who was arrested on Monday, is due before Bradford magistrates this morning and is expected to appear before the city's crown court only hours later.

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The Crown Prosecution Service announced he had been charged after West Yorkshire Police confirmed that body parts discovered in the River Aire on Tuesday belonged to Ms Blamires.

Last night, the 36-year-old's mother Nicky, 55, paid tribute to her "bright" and "articulate" daughter.

"Unfortunately my daughter went down the wrong path and she did not have the life she was meant to have," she said.

"She was a much loved daughter, sister and niece and what has happened to her will haunt me to the day I die.

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"Suzanne was a bright, articulate girl who went to college and was training to be a nurse.

"Even though she ended up on the wrong path she tried to protect her family and kept herself to herself so people knew very little about her.

"She always knew she could come home and that the door was always open. We also saw her all the time and were always there for her.

"At the end of the day nobody deserves this. All these girls were human beings and people's daughters." The charges were announced at Bradford's Trafalgar House police station by the head of the CPS West Yorkshire's complex casework unit, Peter Mann.

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He said he had "carefully considered" all the evidence that police had provided on Griffiths and was satisfied that it was "in the public interest" to charge him.

"The events of the last few days have understandably been very upsetting for the families and friends of Suzanne, Shelley and Susan as well as for the wider public in Bradford," Mr Mann added.

"Their families have been informed of my decision by the police and I hope soon to be able to meet them and explain the trial process to them and answer any questions they may have.

"Mr Griffiths now stands charged with three extremely serious criminal offences and has the right to a fair trial." Police last night continued to search an area near Griffiths's third-floor flat in Thornton Road, a short distance from Bradford city centre.

Griffiths, who attended the private Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield in his teens, has lived in the flat for about 13 years.

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