Emma Caldwell: Hundreds of sex attack reports ‘dismissed’ by police

Former Det Sgt Willie Mason worked on the inquiry in 2005.

Mr Mason was based on a bus run by a church group which parked each week in the red light district.

He was tasked with gaining the trust of the women who were working on the streets.

Mr Mason said the women began reporting attacks to him – sometimes up to five reports on one night.

He said: “I would take what was classed as a message from them, and then I would write it up the following day, and put it into the inquiries, saying their name, their age, date of birth, address, where they could be contacted, and saying that a man in a blue car, you know, had attacked her.

“Just the basic details that they were telling me. Sometimes they were able to name them, sometimes they weren’t.

“It could be anything from a slap in the face to, you know, a rape.

“It wasn’t just me that was collecting them. The guys out doing the general leg work, they were putting these reports in as well.”