Ipswich- The man arrested over the Ipswich murders gave an extensive media interview, in which he claimed to have been a “friend” of all the women but denied any involvement in their deaths.

Supermarket worker Tom Stephens [pictured], who was held by Suffolk police officers this morning on suspicion of murdering all five victims, predicted in the Sunday Mirror that he “could get arrested” over the killings.

However, he insisted: “I know that I’m innocent” and claimed the women “trusted me so much”.

The 37-year-old apparently turned to prostitutes 18 months ago after his eight-year marriage collapsed. He claimed to have been involved with “about 50” in the past year alone.

He described two of the victims, Gemma Adama and Tania Nicol – the two he was allegedly “closest to” – as the “best-looking girls who do this in Ipswich”.

Stephens apparently sobbed uncontrollably during the interview, according to Sunday Mirror journalist Michael Duffy.

The newspaper claimed he had already been questioned four times by police.

“I could get arrested,” Stephens told the newspaper.

“That is quite likely, let’s not say likely, let’s say possible.”

Asked why he thought he could be arrested, Stephens replied: “I would have complete opportunity, the girls would have trusted me so much.

“If I had blindfolded them and taken them to the edge of a cliff and said take two steps but take three and you’ll go over – they would have taken the two steps.

“From the police profiling it does look like me – white male between 25 and 40, knows the area, works strange hours. The bodies have got close to my house. I know that I’m innocent.

“But I don’t have alibis for some of the times – actually I’m not entirely sure I have tight alibis for any of the times.”

From The Mirror: DETECTIVES hunting the Ipswich Ripper believe he is hooked on bondage and extremely violent sex acts.

The maniac may have been well known to the five murdered prostitutes – having paid each large sums in the past to satisfy his perverted S&M obsession. Murder squad officers are questioning a handful of men but are especially anxious to speak to a Scotsman in his 50s who drives a large black car and may live locally. They have been told he paid Ripper victim Paula Clennell up to £350 a time to beat her with a cane – and once left her badly injured.

A source said yesterday: “This man is believed to have a fetish for violent kinky sex.

“Some witnesses claimed he attacked 24-year-old Paula so violently on one occasion she was unable to work for several days.

“It could be pure coincidence but at this stage detectives are ruling nothing out.”

One theory police are working on is that part of the killer’s savage S&M routine involves choking the girls to give himself a sexual thrill.

The source added: “Bondage and fetishes has become a key line of questioning.

“Obviously, whoever did this probably did not have conventional sexual tastes. Detectives are speaking to several people of interest.

“Most of these men will be ruled out of the inquiry but officers hope the killer could be among them.”

Each man will be questioned four or five times by officers trained to cross-check information to highlight weak points in alibis.

Those being interviewed include local underworld figures and known sex offenders as well as regular clients of the girls.

The list includes vice boss Danny Burrows, who owns a massage parlour and knew each of the dead girls.

An American named Gary, who drives vice girls around and is known to them as Uncle, has also been questioned. So has supermarket worker Tom Stephens, 37, who knew all the girls and is unable to provide an alibi for the nights they vanished.

Police also plan to interview property developer Andrew Purdy, 44. He is well known in Ipswich’s red light district and says he is on a mission to get the girls off the streets – and off drugs.

Mr Purdy told one newspaper he befriended all the victims, adding: “All five were lovely girls. Two of them wanted to come off drugs, they both asked me to help them. All I do is pull up my car and chat to the girls.”

Each of the men being questioned has denied any connection to the murders.

The police interviews are being recorded to allow experts to study the body language.

The witnesses are allowed regular breaks but can be held for up to 10 hours.

The interviews are carried out in comfort and are relatively informal. The source said: “It’s important at this stage that the men being interrogated are not made to feel threatened.

“But key areas are revisited again and again to check for inconsistencies.”