A MAN who was questioned for 12 hours by police investigating the murder of prostitute Vicky Glass last night spoke exclusively to The Northern Echo to insist he was an innocent man.

Eric Coates denies any involvement in the death of the Teesside vice girl - and claims her killer came from the area's notorious drugs underworld.

Mr Coates was arrested early on Wednesday morning in connection with the killing of the 21-year-old heroin addict, whose naked body was found dumped on moorland more than a year ago.

Vicky was missing from her home town of Middlesbrough for six weeks before her body was discovered at a remote spot near Danby, on the North York Moors.

In 1994, Mr Coates was jailed for 15 months after being convicted at Teesside Crown Court of kidnapping and assaulting a Middlesbrough prostitute. He was cleared of attempted rape and indecent assault on the same woman.

And last night Mr Coates, who works at a chicken processing factory, said of the Vicky Glass murder: "I didn't do it.

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

Mr Coates, 47, admits using prostitutes from the red-light area where Vicky worked. "One or two girls have told me the rumour is that she was killed because she owed money for drugs," he said. "Nobody deserves that - I hope they catch him."

Mr Coates was led away from the North Yorkshire home he shares with his parents by officers from Cleveland Police earlier this week.

It was the third time that he had been interviewed by detectives during what has become one of the force's longest-running inquiries.

Police spent several hours searching the home in Huby, near Easingwold, and clothes, diaries, video tapes and a car were seized.

Mr Coates said premises owned by his father in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, were also searched.

Mr Coates, who was questioned at Northallerton police station, was released on bail, without charge, and is due to report back in six weeks' time.

He said he had twice been interviewed previously about the murder at Easingwold police station.

"I have answered all of these questions voluntarily before," he said. "But because I can't remember a lot of things, they are virtually calling me a liar.

"They took clothes away and ropes and other things that were bought long after the event," he said.

Unmarried Mr Coates said he vaguely remembered Vicky but could not recall whether he had been one of her clients.

Vicky, whose addiction to drugs forced her into prostitution, disappeared from outside the Shipmate pub, in Middlesbrough, in the early hours of September 24, 2000.

Mr Coates said he could not give police an alibi for his whereabouts on that day, but said it was his father's birthday and he was probably at home.

His father, Raymond, 75, a former county councillor in North Yorkshire, said: "We are as keen as the police are to find who murdered that girl."

His mother, Wendy, 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. It's very distressing."

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said hundreds of people had been interviewed in the "unrelenting" search for Vicky's killer.

"Members of the inquiry team have conducted themselves throughout in a professional and courteous manner," she said.