Detectives have praised Bradford's Telegraph & Argus for its role in the operation to catch a serial sex fiend.

The T&A had printed and distributed hundreds of 'wanted' posters featuring the pervert's e-fit image and a public appeal for information.

And, last week, Nicholas Wright, a 20-year-old mortgage advisor, was jailed for life for three counts of attempted rape over a five-month period last year.

For two long months last year, large swathes of the Bradford district fell under a black cloud of fear and suspicion.

Women and girls kept a self-imposed night-time curfew while the grey photofit image of their tormentor appeared in windows and shop fronts throughout the area.

Detective Superintendent Phil Sedgwick said: "From the moment we opened the incident room to the moment he was arrested, Nicholas Wright did not commit any more crimes.

"This was due to the publicity surrounding our inquiry and the T&A's posters certainly played a major part in this."

He added: "At the time, you could hardly go anywhere in the area without seeing one.

"Our approach did result in the fear of crime being high in particular areas but we felt this was a price worth paying. People may have been frightened but it was better that nobody else was attacked."

The publicity drive also hit home with the wider population with the incident room receiving 150 possible names for the culprit. Many were quickly eliminated while others were asked to provide a DNA sample.

After the laboratory results confirmed their suspicions, officers swooped at Wright's parents' home in a dawn raid.

As they searched his car, they discovered a copy of the Telegraph & Argus featuring the first published picture of the suspect e-fit.

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