Fred and Rose West's hidden secrets - 'sex cult, paedo brother and more bodies'

The sickening crimes of continue to shock decades later, and experts fear there could be even more to unearth.

As two of the most notorious in British history, the Wests brutally tortured and slayed at least 12 vulnerable young women and girls between 1967 and 1987.

The grotesque couple's evil deeds finally began to emerge on February 25, 1994, after they were arrested on suspicion of the of their daughter Heather, who hadn't been seen since 1987. The very next day, Heather's skeletal remains were recovered from the garden of the Wests' Gloucestershire 'House of Horrors', .

As investigators continued to dig, it became clear there were many more bodies, concealed beneath the patio and the floor of the Wests' foul-smelling cellar. Fred died by suicide on New Year's Day, 1995, while 71-year-old continues to live out the rest of her life behind bars.

But there are those who believe the story is far from over.

Indeed, there have previously been reports of an alleged third-party involvement in the slayings, and another chilling burial site where as many as 20 more victims lie undetected.

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Back in 2021, the documentary Fred and Rose West: Reopened saw the production team delve into previously unseen documents that suggested there were many more victims yet to be unearthed.

These included a witness statement from Fred's appropriate adult, Janet Leach, who sat in during Fred's interviews, and even accompanied him as he pointed out exactly where he'd buried the bodies at his home, with a chilling matter-of-factness.

According to Janet, when officers weren't present, Fred would confide in her about things which were not made public. This included an alleged revelation that his late brother John had also been involved in "slaughtering" girls with Rose.

In her statement, Janet quoted Fred as saying: "John and Rose slaughtered people regularly. It was Rose's thing." John was later charged with the sexual abuse of two minors, including Fred's daughter Anne Marie Davis. He died from suicide shortly before the end of his 1996 trial.

Howard Sounes, author of the 2011 book Fred and Rose, believes only Rose would be able to reveal whether or not her brother-in-law was involved in the murders of young girls. He explained: "I think John West knew a lot about what was going on at Cromwell Street. He was charged with raping children at the house and stood trial for that. Whether he was involved in murders, no one knows, apart from Rose West, of course."

In the same documentary, hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald, the team also examined evidence in Janet's statement that might point towards a possible location of 'the farm', where as many as 20 more victims may be buried. This also included an allegation of a murder carried out in a tent in Birmingham and two more girls in the Forest of Dean, who Janet claims Fred stated would "never be found again".

According to Janet: "Fred told me there were another 20 bodies to be found after the twelve. Some in fields, the rest in the barn. There was only one barn where all the activity took place. Fred told me that Rose knew where every body was buried.

"Fred told me that approximately 12 people were buried at the farm. All young females picked up from care homes and other places in Herefordshire and neighbouring areas."

The statement continues: "Fred said several girls were buried in the barn area. Fred said some of the victims' bones were missing because it was a ritual thing, and they did something with the fingers, so there was no way of finding out who they were. He said John West liked the smell of burning fingernails."

From the disturbing conversations she had with Fred, Janet was of the opinion that 'the farm' was located in Berkley, in an area situated between woodland and two cooling towers. Meanwhile, Fred's former employers, Wendy and Derek Thomas, have claimed that, while in prison, he confessed to having "done something in Berkeley".

They also produced time sheets from when Fred was employed as a builder, showing how he'd worked as far afield as London, Wales, Nottingham, Birmingham and Southampton. With this in mind, the killer could well have targeted victims far and wide beyond Gloucestershire.

Janet's testimony isn't the only indication that the Wests could have more dark secrets yet to emerge. In 2016, News reported that a cryptic postcard suggested the Wests could have been involved in a sordid sex ring with .

It's believed the Williams, who had lived near the Wests in the 1990s, had been looking after their children while they headed off on a canal holiday in Cheshire, with the postcard referencing daughter Mae.

Believed to have been written by Rose, the postcard, made public through the Crime Through Time Collection at what was once Gloucestershire's Littledean, includes the line: "Colin says the 'birds' are very friendly here. Loads of wildlife", and is signed "Mum & Dad".

Andy Jones, from the Littledean museum, claimed: "It shows in coded form and innuendo that the Wests ran a child sex ring and the Williams were part of it. They talk about the Williams menagerie - a menagerie means animals."

He went on to remark there was a "strong reference" to an orgy, adding: "It's compelling evidence of a strong connection between the two families."

David Williams, who previously boasted of knowing Fred, was jailed for life in 2015, while wife Pauline was sentenced for 12 years for subjecting 10 girls and boys to rape, sexual assault and beatings.

If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via or by calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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