West Yorkshire Police yesterday strongly criticised YouTube after the international website refused to remove a shocking video purporting to show the gruesome killing of a Bradford prostitute.

The Force had asked YouTube to take the chilling graphic images, which appear to show the alleged murder of Suzanne Blamires, off the site after complaints from friends of the victims.

Self-proclaimed “Crossbow Cannibal” Stephen Griffiths has been charged with the murders of 36-year-old Miss Blamires, Shelley Armitage, 31, and Susan Rushworth, 43. He will next appear by video link at Bradford Crown Court for a resumed preliminary hearing on Monday.

Police said the 3D animated video, made by Taiwan-based Next Media Animation Limited, was in extremely bad taste and totally insensitive to the families and asked for it to be immediately removed.

Yesterday, West Yorkshire Police said it had asked YouTube to remove the video, due to its concerns over the potential prejudice to any future trial and the “offensive and insensitive nature of the content.”

A spokesman added: “Despite this, YouTube have declined to do so. We are extremely disappointed in the approach taken by such a well-known site and urge them to think again.

“This can only cause further distress for relatives, offend the wider public, and potentially prejudice future proceedings.”

A family friend of Susan Rushworth said the video should be deleted immediately for the sake of the families.

Next Media Animation, which said the video was part of international news coverage, insisted they were not insensitive to the feelings of crime victims and their families.

YouTube initially declined to discuss the video but said it had clear policies prohibiting inappropriate content on the site.