Yorkshire Ripper dies: How The Star star kept its promise to Sheffield woman

Olivia Reivers was picked up by Peter Sutcliffe in his car while she was plying her trade on the streets of Broomhall – Sheffield’s red light district at the time.

After agreeing a £10 fee, for sex with a condom, 24-year-old Olivia was driven to a driveway on nearby Melbourne Avenue.

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While the pair were in Sutcliffe’s car, which had false number plates attached with tape, two police officers on patrol spotted the car and became suspicious.

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Enquiries established that the plates belonged to a Skoda, not the Rover Sutcliffe was driving.

He was arrested and taken to Hammerton Road police station in Hillsborough but not before he managed to discard a knife, hammer and rope he had been carrying after briefly slipping away from officers after telling them he was ‘bursting for a pee’.

The items were found the following day when one of the arresting officers went back to Melbourne Avenue and searched the area when Sutcliffe had been.

A second knife was also discovered hidden in a toilet cistern at the city police station where Sutcliffe was initially questioned.

Sutcliffe died alone in hospital in the early hours of this morning after contracting coronavirus.

Described as a ‘monster’ by West Yorkshire Police Federation today, Sutcliffe was serving a rare whole life sentence for the murders of 13 women and seven attempted murders.

He spent most of his sentence locked up at Broadmoor high security psychiatric hospital before being transferred to HMP Frankland in County Durham in 2016.

Former crime reporter Bob Westerdale spoke to Ms Reivers of her lucky escape from the serial killer’s clutches.

It is a widely held belief that she would have been another of his victims.

Recalling the interview, he said: “I remember tracking down Olivia, for The Star, on what was an anniversary of Sutcliffe being caught, maybe 10 years or so.

“Her identity had been changed and it had taken a while before I could find a South Yorkshire Police source who would leak her address.

“Doorstepping her was a difficult task, personally and professionally, made all the more so by the way Olivia answered the doorbell. She had a friendly smile on her face, but that rapidly disappeared when I told her I was a journalist.

“I had a job to do, yet I must confess it felt wrong. Here was a woman who had been petrified by a 1981 encounter with Peter Sutcliffe - a man who had intended to murder her. Now she was staring at me, terrified that her new life away from the spotlight was going to be exposed

“I was frightening a Ripper victim.

“She'd survived, but you could still see her as a Sutcliffe victim, all the same. And here I was, frightening her, all over again.“Garbling my words, I promised her that her new name would not be published by The Star, nor her address.Ever.

“The photographer who accompanied me, was sent away - pictures must not be taken, she instructed.

“Olivia had a female friend with her in her house, which in a way helped me...Olivia had a witness who had heard me stating directly that her wishes for anonymity would be respected.

“We sat down and she recalled how she'd been a vice worker for four years and had met Sutcliffe in Broomhall. He'd been kerb crawling in his Rover.

“She got in his car, drove to Melbourne Avenue where they had a conversation. I remember her saying Sutcliffe had told her that he'd had a row with his wife that night.

“While Olivia and the serial killer were in the vehicle, two Hammerton Road officers arrived - they had noticed the Rover's stolen number plate. ‘Tha's the Ripper, thee’ one of them said.

“By a huge stroke of good fortune, Olivia's life was spared. And Sutcliffe was in custody.

“As I left her home, all those years later, she again made me promise nothing would be printed which would unmask her present lifestyle - her child must be protected, she said.“The Star honoured its obligations, and still does.

“I wished her well. And Olivia got on with the rest of her life.

“A very, very lucky woman but with an unwanted place in Yorkshire's criminal history.”

Brian Booth, Chairman of West Yorkshire Police Federation, said today: "On hearing of the death of Peter Sutcliffe today, I feel good riddance.

“The monster who murdered so many innocent women in and around West Yorkshire should rot in hell.

“He is the very reason most people step to the plate and become police officers - to protect our communities from people like him.

“As a child in West Yorkshire, when he was on his reign of terror, I can say his activities caused fear throughout the region. My heart goes out to all the families affected through the loss of their loved ones, but I personally will not be mourning the death of this monster.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.