The searchers: Specialist police team at forefront of investigation

More reports and background on Stephen Griffiths

The search was concentrated on Griffiths's flat in Holmfield Court, on Thornton Road in Bradford, and in the River Aire at Shipley, where body parts belonging to Suzanne Blamires and Shelley Armitage were found.

But officers also carried out close inspections of neighbouring areas, looking through bins and gardens and sites including an old drainage culvert.

The complex investigation was the first to feature the work of West Yorkshire Police's specialist victim identification team, which had to gather all the evidence together to establish who had died.

Senior identification manager, Detective Superintendent Colin Prime, said: "After responding to the report of human remains in the River Aire, it was deemed appropriate to use the specialist team to retrieve, identify and repatriate the remains.

"Supported by the underwater search unit, the team's sole aim was to recover them with dignity and integrity whilst securing key evidence.

"This involved a high level of professionalism and of course a sympathetic approach. This whole process is about care and respect and is what loved ones are entitled to expect.

"The team provided the senior investigating officer with more time to direct and lead the investigation."

Officers made thousands of enquiries to identify people in CCTV footage that could have been critical.

"Griffiths was taking these girls in the middle of the night and killing them straight away," said acting Det Ch Supt Andy Brennan, of the homicide and major enquiry team.

"There weren't any witnesses and, although there were public appeals for information, they did not attract high-profile interest from national media.

"We had CCTV footage of Shelley Armitage, but very few people in that footage could be identified and interviewed as a potential witness or a potential suspect."