SHE has seen five of her friends murdered in recent weeks - but Ipswich prostitute Suzanne has no intention of staying off the streets.Plying her trade in the town's red light district, the 25-year-old has no other way of funding her heroin habit.

SHE has seen five of her friends murdered in recent weeks - but Ipswich prostitute Suzanne has no intention of staying off the streets.

Plying her trade in the town's red light district, the 25-year-old has no other way of funding her heroin habit.

And despite recognising she could be the serial killer's next victim, she insists she would rather die than be unable to find cash for her next fix.

She said: “I know people won't understand why I have to be out here, still working, but I do. If it happens, it happens. It's a terrible thing to say, but the need for drugs is bigger than the need for anything else - even protecting myself.

“I'm sure I'll be dead in ten years' time any way. Whether it is through drugs, or at the hands of some sicko, well it doesn't make much difference, does it?

“It's a horrible existence but it's my life.”

We found Suzanne working in Burlington Road just before 11pm on Wednesday, shivering on the kerbside as she touted herself for business.

This is nothing new to her - she has been working the streets since the age of 14 and using heroin for even longer. She is following in the footsteps of her mother in being a prostitute and heroin addict, while her father also used drugs. Both died of overdoses before the age of 40.

She admits coming to terms with the death of Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Annette Nicholls, Anneli Alderton and Paula Clennell has been difficult - but says looking after “number one” comes first.

She said: “I went to school with Paula, and I know Gemma from years back. She's a lovely girl, so pretty and always smiling. We used to work together at the bottom of Burlington Road. I saw Annette only a few days before she died. She came round my place to borrow £20 from boyfriend.

“I wouldn't say we were close or even use the word community to describe us, because we are addicts and the drugs force everyone to look out for number one.

“But those girls were the closest thing I had to friends. I'm so sad they're gone.”

Suzanne believes one person is carrying out the series of murders - and that “he” is probably one of the girls' regular punters.

She said: “He's someone we know. He's profiling us like the police are profiling him. He knows we are all heroin addicts - that's how he gets us and that's how he's doing the killing, by giving them lethal injections of heroin.

“I mean, it's obvious, isn't it? I think the police need to look at our regulars.”