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'Fred And Rose West Tapes': Serial Killer Couple's Lodger Speaks Out For First Time

Ciara Sheppard

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'Fred And Rose West Tapes': Serial Killer Couple's Lodger Speaks Out For First Time

Featured Image Credit: PA

In 1978, when she was just 16 years old, Gill Britt left her family home in Glouchester, South West England, to live on her own in her search for independence.

When she moved into a bedsit in 25 Cromwell Street, a terraced house in the centre of town, she had no idea she'd just moved into the house that had acted as the final resting place for dozens of women - most of which were buried meters from her under the patio, and in the cellar and garden.

Gill, who luckily escaped her depraved landlords, the notorious serial killers Fred and Rose West, speaks for the first time in new podcast, Unheard: The Fred and Rose Tapes.

Credit: PA
Credit: PA
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The 12-part podcast - hosted by the investigative journalist Howard Sounes who broke major stories in the case - delves into the crimes of the gruesome couple.

In episode two, Howard speaks to Gill, who although luckily did not experience the couple's wrath, was aware of suspicious behaviour from the couple.

"[Other lodgers and I] never questioned why he was in to and from the van, or up and down in the cellar," says Gill.

"Carpet rolling up on his shoulder coming out of the van going down to the cellar and it was 'oh bloody hell Fred, you've got dead bodies down there ain't ya'. It was a joke."

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Credit: PA
Credit: PA

Gill adds: "Yeah, we was just laughing - like I said, a bit tipsy. Had a rolled up carpet as long as he is, you know, must have been a huge carpet and he was taking this down to the I'm assuming in the cellar - I wasn't really watching.

"Like I said, you'd have a laugh. He'd let you off your rent and sorted the room out put a new bed in there. 'Oh yeah, cheers mate!' Money, fiver a week, we're laughing.

"I didn't know the other side of Fred."

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*Warning - distressing content ahead.*

In the podcast, Howard also speaks to Stephen West, son of Fred and Rose West, who opens up on life as one of their children.

Credit: PA
Credit: PA

"So there was one day I was at school and, um, she called me home from school and they told me that. They said, your mum called and you better go home.

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"I ran all the way home because I thought something was wrong. It was only mum in the house. She told me to go in the bathroom and strip off. So I went in there and stripped off.

"I looked round on the tie rack and there was a belt and two pieces of leather. And she tied the one round my hand, and she tied the other one to it, and told me to lie on the floor, and she tied it to the toilet, and she just belted me for a quarter of an hour. I was only about 12.

"She kept asking me what have you done? I didn't know what she was talking about. And then she said, you took some pornographic magazines and I said 'I haven't at all.' So she beat me again for 10 minutes.

Fred and Rose West Credit: SWNS
Fred and Rose West Credit: SWNS
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"I was covered in blood and she told me to get dressed again and go back to school. After about an hour it was, I went back to school. And Heather had been sent home for having these magazines and she thought it was me. She thought it was me.

"But, when she found out it was Heather, all she said to Heather was 'Don't worry about it, Steve took the beating.' And that was mum all over."

Stephen West was sentenced to nine months in prison in 2002 for having sex with an underage girl.

In 1994, Howard, who was working for the Sunday and Daily Mirror at the time, received a tip-off call which pulled him into the case. As the case began to unravel, the reporter recorded his investigations, interviews and reflections on analogue cassette tape.

The recordings include interviews with family members of Fred and Rose West, those who knew the victims, and lodgers at 25 Cromwell Street, such as Gill.

Stephen, the son of Fred and Rose West, was sentenced to nine months in 2002 for having sex with an underage girl. Credit: PA
Stephen, the son of Fred and Rose West, was sentenced to nine months in 2002 for having sex with an underage girl. Credit: PA

It is these never before heard tapes that he's sharing with the world in the true crime podcast, restored and digitally enhanced for the first time.

The couple were arrested in February 1994 after police found human remains and signs of torture at their home. When questioned by police, Fred admitted to killing at least thirty people, and Rose denied having any involvement.

While on remand, Fred killed himself and Rose went to trial, eventually being sentenced to life in prison.

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The podcast is available now on all major podcast providers for 12 weeks, starting from Tuesday 10th September.

It sounds like its going to be some pretty heavy listening...

Topics: Entertainment News, True Crime, Murder

Ciara Sheppard
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