 (Continued) Of the exclusive photographs published in The Sun on January 3rd, 1995, over 50% are pictures I uncovered in the run up to one of the most anticipated murder trials at the end of the last century. When Fred was hanged, the pictures started to appear everywhere in print and on television all around the world. All the black and white photographs of Fred as a child and young man I had found by chance with a nephew of Fred's who lived close to a field where Fred had buried his first 3 victims. the young man's parents were under an exclusive contract to 2 newspapers, their son wasn't. stored in his attic was a rusted old sweet tin. Inside was every original negative and only prints from Fred's yesteryear. it was quite a find at the time. one that gave rise to a car chase as I headed back to the newsagency, pursued by hacks from one of Britain's less desirable Sunday papers. the images were then sold to 'The Sun,' much to the annoyance of the Sunday publication. Fred West and his wife Rose are indeed evil people. between them, many young women, including their own children died at their hands, only to be recovered from their cellar, garden and local fields many years later. The 'House of Horrors', No 25, Cromwell Street has thankfully been destroyed, preventing it from drawing ghoulish crowds as it did when still standing. Tourists used to ask me if I could take their photographs in front of the house, a request I used to decline rudely. Two years after I joined south west news agency, I photographed the trial of Fred's wife Rose. My career at the agency started with the arrest of this heinous couple. It ended when they jailed Rose West for life in prison. Cases like this take their toll on the individuals who cover them and I found myself increasingly disturbed by the evidence we uncovered. (Continues) |