A former Oxford prostitute has renewed her call for the sex industry to be legalised following the murders of up to five vice girls in Suffolk.

'Annie', who used to work in East Oxford, believes that if girls were allowed to work in licensed premises, instead of walking the streets alone, they would be far safer.

Her call comes as police continue to hunt for a serial killer suspected of killing three prostitutes in Ipswich.

Two more bodies - believed to be those of Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29 - have also been discovered in woodland and may also have been murdered by the killer.

Annie used to work from home, but said there were still similar risks.

She said: "When I was working, we always had some form of back-up upstairs for a safety point of view, because even in your own home you're not safe.

"Years ago, I was with someone who later got done for assault. And one customer paid me to go out with him and I had to call the police because he refused to take me home.

"Somebody might look quite plausible but you don't ever really know."

She said the industry needed to be legalised to protect workers.

"They should legalise it all and get the girls off the streets into houses.

"I realise all the issues with that, but it would really help.

"I think Oxford is pretty safe, but you don't know, because it isn't always reported."

Police investigating the killings in Ipswich warned girls to stay off the streets while the murderer was still at large, but many prostitutes said they had to go out because they needed money.

Paula Clennell had given an interview to ITV earlier in the month in which she said she was prepared to go back on the streets despite the danger.

Annie said: "They have got to keep going out and working. There's not a lot else you can do if it's your job.

"But I personally wouldn't want to be out there."

She is not the only person to believe legalisation would help tackle the problem.

Last October, city councillor Sajjad Malik said he was so disappointed by the lack of action over prostitution in Cowley, he believed the only solution was to legalise the trade. He said Oxford should take a lead from Liverpool which was prepared to set up prostitution tolerance zones.

Recent Home Office proposals abandoned plans for managed zones in non-residential areas in favour of campaigns against kerb crawling and for small, worker-run, brothels. There will be heavy penalties for premises managed by pimps or those exploiting trafficked women.