THE former wife of a man arrested on suspicion of murdering five women said their marriage was a disaster.

Diane Cole, 52, from Hartlepool, married Steve Wright in 1987 and returned to her native North-East when the couple split a year later.

Yesterday, speaking to the Hartlepool Mail, Ms Cole told of her horror at seeing her ex-husband's name in the news.

Mr Wright, 48, was arrested on Tuesday by officers investigating the murder of five prostitutes in the Ipswich area of Suffolk.

Ms Cole, who is wheelchair-bound following a severe attack of meningitis, married the father-of-three after meeting him on a cruise ship in the mid-1980s.

Speaking at her home in Hartlepool, she said: "It's been an absolute nightmare for me, this.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw his name on the telly."

She added: "He has not been charged with anything. I am not a judge.

"I don't want to talk about him until I have spoken to my new partner.

"He is not part of my life any more."

She said she met Mr Wright while in her late twenties when she travelled the world on cruise ships working as a window dresser.

They ran a pub together in Norwich, and Mr Wright owned a bungalow in Essex.

After the marriage failed and she moved back to her native Hartlepool, she suffered her devastating illness.

Coincidentally, she gave a newspaper interview earlier this week in which she revealed she had found new love on the Friends Reunited website, with a 49-year-old Scottish engineer named only as Bill.

Ms Cole said she married Mr Wright in Braintree, Essex, because the brewery wanted them to be committed to each other before they could run a pub.

They were offered the Ferry Boat Inn, which is in Norwich's red light district, and they took it on with her husband's name over the door.

Ms Cole, who changed her name by deed poll after the failed marriage, said the relationship lasted less than a year.

She said: "I have had to relive everything. I thought I had forgotten a lot of it, but it's all coming back now.

"I don't want to say too much, but I will say our marriage wasn't great. It wasn't good and I was glad when it ended."

The national press descended on the quiet terraced street yesterday, hoping for new insight into the murder suspect's life.

But Ms Cole refused to answer the door, despite offers of cash for an exclusive interview with national media.

Meanwhile, detectives investigating the five murders were last night given a further 36 hours to continue questioning Mr Wright.

The forklift-truck driver was the second person arrested by officers in Ipswich.

A 37-year-old man - named by police sources as Tom Stephens - has also been arrested and is being quizzed by detectives.

Mr Wright was arrested at his home in central Ipswich early on Tuesday. Mr Stephens was arrested at his home in Trimley St Mary, Suffolk, early on Monday.

Detectives said both were being questioned on suspicion of murdering five prostitutes, whose naked bodies were found near villages south of Ipswich during a ten-day period.

Officers can hold each suspect for a maximum of 96 hours before deciding whether to bring charges.

They began a murder investigation on December 2, when the body of Gemma Adams, 25, was found at Hintlesham.

Over the following days, the bodies of Tania Nicol, 19, Anneli Alderton, 19, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, were found in isolated locations at nearby villages.

More than 500 officers from more than 30 forces are working on the investigation.

Police said a magistrate had given detectives permission to continue questioning the man arrested in Ipswich.

On Tuesday, police were given permission to continue questioning the man arrested in Trimley St Martin.

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