The trial of a mature student accused of murdering three prostitutes in Bradford will not now take place in November, a judge has ruled.

Stephen Griffiths appeared at Sheffield Crown Court via videolink from Wakefield Prison.

He is charged with murdering Bradford sex workers Suzanne Blamires, Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth.

Griffiths, 40, referred to himself as the "Crossbow Cannibal" when he made his first appearance before magistrates in May.

During this hearing he could be seen on television screen sitting behind a table at the prison sporting a beard and wearing a grey prison jumper for the 26-minute hearing.

The judge, Mr Justice Openshaw, decided the provisional trial date of November 16 at Bradford Crown Court, set at the last hearing, was to be vacated. He said a new date would have to be fixed at a later hearing.

Griffiths, who has a degree in psychology, is charged with murdering Miss Blamires, 36, of Allerton, Bradford, between May 20 and May 25; murdering Miss Armitage, 31, also of Allerton, between April 25 and May 25 this year, and murdering Miss Rushworth, 43, of Manningham, between June 22 2009 and May 25 this year.

A team of more than 130 police staff have taken part in the investigation into the deaths of the prostitutes, which have included protracted searches of the area around Griffiths's home and underwater searches of the River Aire and Leeds-Liverpool Canal in Shipley and Saltaire.

At the time of his arrest at his home at Holmfield Court in Thornton Road, Bradford, on May 24, Griffiths, was a part-time student at Bradford University undertaking postgraduate research in criminology.

Griffiths was told his case will be heard again on October 15 at Bradford Crown Court and a decision will be made later whether he will appear in person or by videolink.