'I pretended to be related to Fred and Rose West to deter my school bullies'

Notorious serial killer Rose West is reportedly “on her last legs” inside high-security prison HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire.

The increasingly frail 72-year-old has spent 31 years behind bars after being caged in 1995 for helping husband Fred commit at least nine murders at their home in Gloucester between 1967 and 1987. A source told The Sun the killer was in a “really bad way” and can “barely move”.

They added: “The fact she has this PEEP in place shows what a poor state her health is in. Having a PEEP is extremely rare and officers only use them for those in the most danger if there is an emergency.”

A PEEP relates to plans for prison staff who supervise inmates with health issues or disabilities that could impact their ability to evacuate in case of an emergency like a fire. The source continued: “And people have been talking about how West is on her last legs and does not have long left because of her health. She cannot leave her wing and is also resigned to dying in jail.”

Given the heinous crimes of Rose and her husband Fred, it’s no surprise that many would not want to be associated with them, but this was not always the case for Charlotte West, who used to be a playground target because of her infamous surname.

School pals often teased her and asked how many bodies were in her garden and by her own admission, she also looked like Wednesday Addams, something which she was already picked on for before the House of Horrors hit the news.

But after months of relentless mocking, Charlotte stunned her primary school classmates when she pretended Fred West was her uncle. All of a sudden, the bullying stopped and she started to walk to class with a swagger. But in January 1995, Charlotte's dark joke escalated when Fred took his own life before he could face trial for killing 12 people.

Speaking to this reporter back in 2022, Charlotte told the Daily Star : “Kids used to say, ‘Ugh, you are related to Fred West’ and they would say, ‘Oh I wouldn’t go to your house for a barbecue’. They also asked how many bodies were in my back garden and they called me Fred when we played chase or sometimes Heather [the couple's first victim]. It didn’t bother me but after a while I got annoyed because it was constant.”

Charlotte, who was only seven at the time, was assured by her family that she was not related to the evil couple. But one day in class she decided to tell a lie to get the other kids to back off.

She remembered: “I was sitting in class and this boy came along and she said, ‘Oh Fred, can I borrow a rubber?’ He then asked if I really was related to Fred and I turned around and said, ‘Yes, he’s my uncle’. I said it without smiling and looked him dead in the eye and he took a step back and everyone fell silent. They didn’t mention Fred again until he died.”

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And from that memorable moment, everything changed. Charlotte, now a mum who works in a hardware store, said: “I’m glad I said it because it put a stop to it.