A NORTH Yorkshire man quizzed for 12 hours by police investigating the murder of a prostitute today protested his innocence.

Eric Coates, 47, was arrested yesterday in the home he shares with his parents in Oaktree Sawmills, Huby.

Police questioned him in connection with the murder of Middlesbrough prostitute Vicky Glass and searched the family property.

Mr Coates was not able to offer Cleveland Police an alibi, he said today, because he could not remember where he was the day she went missing - September 24, 2000.

It was his father's birthday and he would have thought he was at home.

Mr Coates openly admitted using prostitutes from the red-light area where she worked. "I vaguely knew her," he said, but maintained he was not involved in her death.

He added: "Knowing what I know of the people there, I believe her death was a warning and a drug killing.

"It is quite sad, and a lot of the girls are living in fear."

Mr Coates, who has never been married and has no children, said he visited a prostitute in the area only a few weeks ago.

"I don't deny using prostitutes. My arrest was a shock and I wasn't able to help the police very much - they said I was lying.

Mr Coates, who works night shifts at a poultry factory near Thirsk, added: "People will be talking in the village. There's no smoke without fire."

"I hope they catch the person for everybody's sake. The person might have already killed again."

"Nobody deserves that. I hope they catch him. I haven't done anything. One or two girls have told me that the rumour is that she was killed because she owed money for drugs."

"I knew who she was. I met her a couple of times. I can't remember whether I used her."

"I have been going to the area for many years."

Mr Coates admitted to a previous conviction of assault involving a prostitute.

He said he was given a 15-month prison sentence eight years ago.

He said many of the girls were taking drugs and working as prostitutes to make money to buy them.

"When I saw the girl you could tell she was on drugs," he said.

His distraught mother, Wendy Coates, 64, said: "We know he uses prostitutes. We have to accept that in this day and age, but I know he didn't do this to that girl.

"Our home was turned over by the police yesterday. It's very distressing."

The family home and outbuildings were searched for eight hours by about 30 police officers. Ropes, knickers, ties, diaries, 42 video tapes and Eric's old car, among other items, were seized.

In addition, Mr Coates said keys to a nuclear bunker he owns in Goathland were seized.

Eric's father, Raymond Coates, 75, a former North Yorkshire County Councillor, added: "We are as keen as the police are to find who murdered that girl. She will have a family too even if she was a prostitute."

Ms Glass was missing for six weeks before she was discovered by a man walking his dog at a North Yorkshire beauty spot near the village of Danby in November, 2000.

Mr Coates, who has a glass eye and sometimes wears an eye patch, was released on police bail at 10pm last night. He is due to report back to Northallerton police station in six weeks.

Updated: 14:29 Thursday, January 10, 2002