A man accused of murdering three sex workers in Bradford identified himself in court today as "Crossbow Cannibal".
Stephen Griffiths, 40, is accused of killing Suzanne Blamires, Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth, who all went missing in Bradford over the last 10 months.
When asked for his name in a five-minute appearance before magistrates, he replied clearly: "Crossbow Cannibal."
The clerk at Bradford magistrates court, Amarjit Soor, asked Griffiths for his address. "Here, I guess," he replied.
Asked to confirm his date of birth, 24 December 1969, he said: "Yeah."
Griffiths, who was unshaven with short dark hair, was handcuffed in the glass-fronted dock and accompanied by three security guards.
Wearing a black shirt over a white T-shirt and dark blue jeans, he kept his head bowed throughout the hearing and fidgeted and picked at his hands. No pleas were entered.
The charges are that he murdered Blamires, 36, between May 20 and 25 this year; Rushworth, 43, who has been missing since June 2009; and Armitage, 31, who disappeared in April.
Several of the victims' family members were in court, accompanied by police family liaison officers, and some of them stared intently at Griffiths throughout the hearing. The Blamires family chose not to attend.
The case is being fast-tracked and Griffiths was remanded in custody to appear before Bradford crown court at 2.15pm today.
Last night, Blamires' mother, Nicky, 55, described her daughter as bright and articulate. She had attended college and wanted to be a nurse. Unfortunately her daughter "went down the wrong path and did not have the life she was meant to have", she said.
Griffiths lived in a third-floor flat in Thornton Road, in the heart of Bradford's red-light district. He attended the private Queen Elizabeth Grammar school in Wakefield and had recently been studying for a PhD in criminology at Bradford University.
Officers believe the body parts found earlier this week in the River Aire, at Shipley, all belong to Blamires.
They are continuing to search for the bodies of Rushworth and Armitage.
Dozens of police teams were at work today at a range of locations across Bradford. Much of the activity is focused on the city's red-light district.
Many alleyways and streets in the Sunbridge Road area remained sealed off as officers conducted fingertip searches.
Sniffer dogs were being used in a number of locations, and officers have been seen taking away a large number of objects in plastic bags.
A man accused of being a serial killer has appeared in  magistrates court in West Yorkshire today charged with three counts of murder. 40-year-old Stephen Griffiths is accused of killing Suzanne Blamires, 36, Susan Rushworth, 43, and Shelley Armitage, 31, all prostitutes.

Griffiths, a former van driver with a degree in psychology and studying for a  in criminology, gave his name as "Crossbow Cannibal" when asked. He has been in police custody since Monday when police were alerted to a  recording that appeared to show a murder.

A caretaker had been reviewing footage from the flats where Griffiths lives when he saw footage of a woman and a man enter a flat early on Saturday morning. Two minutes later, she ran out and was followed by the man, who beat her to the ground and shot her in the head with a crossbow. Over the course of the weekend, the man was seen several times with bin bags and a rucksack.

On Tuesday, the day after the arrest of Griffiths, Blamires' remains were found in the  in nearby . She had been cut into several pieces and her head was located in a rucksack. Police continue to search for the other two alleged victims; Rushworth has been missing since June last year and Armitage vanished in April.

Police have searched much of Bradford's , where Griffiths' third-floor flat is located. Forensic investigations at the flat are expected to last around three weeks. There are plans to search landfill sites for bodies, and police may yet expand the inquiry to cover three more cold cases, although at present they have not been linked to the current inquiry.

Sniffer dogs have been used throughout the city, and police have been taking away plastic evidence bags. Some alleyways remain closed off. Police charged their suspect yesterday.

Griffiths was known as "the lizard man" in his block of flats owing to his habit of walking his two pet  in the area. One neighbour is reported to have quoted him as saying he was studying for "a PhD in murder and ," and he has spent time in a high-security psychiatric hospital. During his five-minute court appearance he did not enter a plea, kept his head bowed and fidgeted with his cuffed hands. He said "Here, I guess," when asked for his address.

As he stood in the glass-fronted dock, guarded by three security officers, he was watched by the families of Rushworth and Armitage, who were accompanied by police family liaison officers. Blamires' family chose not to be present, but the victim's mother Nicky Blamires, 54, has told the press that Suzanne was a "much-loved" family member even though she "went down the wrong path and did not have the life she was meant to have." "Nobody deserves this," she said. "All these girls were human beings and people's daughters."

Griffiths' morning court appearance was followed by a second one this afternoon, at Bradford . This time, he confirmed his name without incident. He was remanded into custody until next month, when he will appear in court again.

British media has been quick to compare the case to , dubbed the "Yorkshire Ripper". Sutcliffe was a Bradford killer responsible for thirteen murders and seven attempted murders, including several prostitutes. Since his 1981 conviction he has spent most of the last three decades in  high-security psychiatric hospital near London.