YORKSHIRE Ripper Peter Sutcliffe could face new charges after police confirmed they were investigating unsolved attacks on women in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

West Yorkshire Police are conducting a 'cold case' review of unsolved cases dating back more than 30 years.

Police have taken statements and DNA samples from women who may have been attacked by Sutcliffe.

The Bradford lorry driver, now 69, was arrested in 1981 and later jailed for life for 13 murders.

The cold case investigation is believed to focus on files in a 1982 government report that concluded that Sutcliffe was probably responsible for more attacks on lone women, including in West Yorkshire.

In a statement, West Yorkshire Police confirmed that reviews were taking place into unsolved assaults and other offences.

A Force spokesman said: "We are continuing with an ongoing process to review non-recent undetected offences…in conjunction with the Home Office under the requirements of the Public Records Act.

"As part of this review, officers have begun to visit a small number of people named as victims of then unsolved assaults and other offences in cases submitted to West Yorkshire Police as part of reviews carried out in the early 1980s.

"Officers also took the opportunity to review any statements held, ask for any further information and also took DNA samples.

"This is standard procedure in unsolved cases which predate the invention of DNA profiling.

"Should any new lines of enquiry be identified, they will be comprehensively pursued."