SERIAL killer Steve Wright has abandoned this month's attempt to appeal against his convictions for murdering five women.

IPSWICH serial killer Steve Wright has abandoned this month's attempt to get leave to appeal against his convictions for murdering five women.

A hearing scheduled for February 24 at the Royal Courts of Justice will not take place, his brother David said today.

The family now hope the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will take up the case, although it may take at least a year due to the amount of information which will need to be analysed.

David Wright said a file has been submitted to the CCRC. He added the option of abandoning this month's hearing was taken as Wright's case would not be able to be prepared in time.

Wright was jailed for life after being convicted last February for the murders of Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls, who were found over a 10-day period on the outskirts of Ipswich in 2006

At his Ipswich Crown Court sentencing the former forklift truck driver was told that he would spend the rest of his life in prison.