Now widely considered some of the most notorious and prolific serial killers in Britain, Fred and Rose West’s case shocked the country when it first came to light. 

The couple tortured, raped and murdered at least twelve young women between 1967 and 1987 – including their daughter Heather, 16.

Their home at 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester became known as their ‘house of horrors’ after police found nine bodies there before the couple’s arrest in 1994 – and later found three more elsewhere. 

Rose, 71, is currently serving a life sentence after being found guilty in 1995 of murdering ten girls and women – but Fred, then 53, hanged himself in his remand cell in January of that year before facing trial for 12 murders.

Their case is one of the most horrifying – and one of the most publicised – in recent memory, with a three-part Netflix documentary about it, Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story, dropping on the streamer today. 

But little do most people know, Fred had a secret life before the series of brutalities he committed with Rose – often forgotten amid the horror of those later crimes. 

The couple (pictured) tortured, raped and murdered at least twelve young women between 1967 and 1987 – including their daughter Heather, 16 

Before marrying Rose in 1972, when she was 18, Fred had another wife – Catherine ‘Rena’ Costello (pictured) 

The mother was last heard from in around 1971, when she was about 27 years old – she was to become one of Fred’s first victims. Pictured: A missing persons poster looking for Catherine, pictured with Fred on the poster

Fred West’s first wife, Rena Costello 

Before marrying Rose in 1972, when she was 18, Fred had another wife – Catherine ‘Rena’ Costello, who he made Rena West when they married ten years prior, in 1962, when she was also just 18.

Catherine Bernadette Costello was born on April 14, 1944, in the Scottish town of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, just east of Glasgow. 

According to Fred’s biographer Geoffrey Wansall, she had a ‘strong personality’ and was a ‘tough and manipulative woman’ who was ‘more than a match for Fred’.  

Rena met Fred after moving to England, marrying him in the town of Ledbury, Herefordshire, not far from his home village of Much Marcle, on November 17, 1962. 

Only around ten days later, they moved to Coatbridge, living in rented accommodation, while Fred worked as an ice cream van driver. 

She had been pregnant by another man at the time of their marriage – but her daughter, born on May 22, 1963, took Fred’s surname, becoming Charmaine Carol Mary West. 

Details of her father were not listed on her birth certificate. 

The couple soon moved to nearby Glasgow, where they had another daughter, Anne Marie West, on July 6, 1964. 

The couple’s (pictured) home at 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester became known as their ‘house of horrors’ after police found nine bodies there before the couple’s arrest in 1994 – and later found three more elsewhere

The majority of the murders – including that of Fred and Rose’s daughter Heather, who was buried under the patio – took place at 25 Cromwell Street. Pictured: Cromwell Street in the Netflix documentary about the Wests

What happened to Rena only fully came out in 1994, when the Wests’ crimes were finally discovered. Pictured: Netflix documentary about the Wests

When interviewed by police in March 1994, Fred (pictured) pᴀssed a handwritten note to a detective, confessing to nine murders – including Rena

He was taken to a field the next day, in the Gloucestershire village of Kempley, near Fred’s hometown – so he could point out where he had buried her

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They moved back to England a couple of years later, living in several caravan parks across Gloucestershire, in the villages of Bishop’s Cleeve and Sandhurst. 

Rena left Fred in 1969, fed up with the violence and Sєxual abuse she experienced at his hands, while the two girls remained with their father. 

But the mother was last heard from in around 1971, when she was about 27 years old – she was to become one of Fred’s first victims. 

What happened to her only fully came out in 1994, when the Wests’ crimes were finally discovered. 

When interviewed by police in March 1994, Fred pᴀssed a handwritten note to a detective, confessing to nine murders – including Rena. 

He was taken to a field the next day, in the Gloucestershire village of Kempley, near Fred’s hometown – so he could point out where he had buried her. 

A month later, a dig there revealed human remains – which were identified as Rena.  

Before her death, Fred had killed another woman too – Ann McFall, a Scottish 18-year-old who became nanny to Charmaine and Anne-Marie after moving to the Gloucester area with friends in 1966. 

A month later, a dig there revealed human remains – which were identified as Rena

Before her death, Fred had killed another woman too – Ann McFall, a Scottish 18-year-old who became nanny to Charmaine and Anne-Marie. Pictured: Netflix documentary about the Wests

She was pregnant with his child when she vanished in the summer of 1967

Her remains, along with those of her baby, were too later found in 1994, also in a field near Kempley

Read More Who were Fred and Rose West’s 12 victims?

She was pregnant with his child when she vanished in the summer of 1967.

Her remains, along with those of her baby, were too later found in 1994, also in a field near Kempley. 

Rena and Ann’s deaths saw Fred, in 1995, charged with twelve murders, while Rose faced trial for ten. 

Fred West’s stepdaughter, Charmaine West  

But these killings were just the start of the couple’s reign of terror – which also saw them kill Rena’s daughter Charmaine, when she was just eight years old. 

Shortly after Rena left Fred in 1969, Rose and Fred met, when she was just 15 – and she soon left home to live with him and his two daughters, despite only then being 16. 

She gave birth to their daughter Heather West on October 17, 1970, before the pair married and moved to 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester in 1972. 

It was around this time, in 1971, that Charmaine, then only eight years old, disappeared.

Her remains were later found under the kitchen floor of the former family home – 25 Midland Road in Gloucester, before they moved to Cromwell Street – in 1994. 

But these killings were just the start of the couple’s reign of terror – which also saw them kill Rena’s daughter Charmaine (pictured), when she was just eight years old

Their other confirmed victims were Lynda Gough, Carol Ann Cooper, Lucy Partington, Therese Siegenthaler, Shirley Hubbard, Juanita Mott, Shirley Robinson and Alison Chambers (pictured)

The release of the Netflix documentary series comes as viewers revisit what happened to the Wests’ surviving children. Pictured: Fred and Rose with their children

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE My sister was murdered by Fred and Rose West. This is the truth about our nightmare: DEZRA CHAMBERS

Her disappearance happened in the same year as her mother Rena’s. 

The majority of the murders – including that of Fred and Rose’s daughter Heather, who was buried under the patio – took place at 25 Cromwell Street. 

Their other confirmed victims were Lynda Gough, Carol Ann Cooper, Lucy Partington, Therese Siegenthaler, Shirley Hubbard, Juanita Mott, Shirley Robinson and Alison Chambers. 

The release of the Netflix documentary series comes as viewers revisit what happened to the Wests’ surviving children.  

During their time together, Fred and Rose shared ten children in total – including five they had together.

Then, there were the two girls Fred had with Rena and three daughters Rose gave birth to after becoming pregnant from clients she slept with while working as a prosтιтute.

Of their ten children, only seven are still alive – but their story is rarely told.

Four of them are believed to have moved to other parts of the UK to begin new lives, away from the ‘House of Horrors’ they were forced to share with their killer parents – but three have remained in Gloucester and live barely ten minutes from each other.

The three-part documentary, directed by Dan Dewsbury, looks into exactly how Gloucestershire Police unearthed the remains of the couple’s victims and collected evidence against them.

The three-part documentary, directed by Dan Dewsbury, looks into exactly how Gloucestershire Police unearthed the remains of the couple’s victims (pictured) and collected evidence against them

The new documentary (pictured), one of several on the case over the years, is especially heartbreaking as it focusses on the victims’ families

For some, it is the first time they have spoken out and opened up on camera about their trauma

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The first instalment, called Fred, zooms in on the moment Fred West was taken into custody and questioned about his missing daughter.

The second, named Rose, explores the pair’s ‘dark, twisted relationship’ and how police realised Fred did not commit the heinous crimes alone.

And the third, called The Trial, looks at the additional evidence that emerged to further implicate Rose in the case.

The show features previously unseen police video footage and audio recordings – providing a deeper look into the case than ever seen in various other programmes made about it over the years. 

The new documentary, one of several on the case over the years, is especially heartbreaking as it focusses on the victims’ families.

For some, it is the first time they have spoken out and opened up on camera about their trauma.

Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story is available to watch on Netflix.