Crucial papers needed for a convicted murderer's appeal are set to be released.

George Naylor has twice been tried and found guilty of the murder of 18-year-old Bradford prostitute Maureen Stepan in 1995 but was granted leave to appeal 16 months ago.

His solicitor Stephen Couch said he believed the Court of Appeal was about to release transcripts which he is waiting for in an attempt to overturn Naylor's life sentence.

Mr Couch said: "As I understand from the Court of Appeal, it is going to release the court transcripts. We hope they will be on their way to us shortly."

The Telegraph & Argus reported two weeks ago how Naylor, 55, had started a hunger strike at Frankland Prison, Durham, to protest his innocence and show anger at the delay in handing over the appeal documents. Mr Couch, a consultant with Bradford law firm William Hicks and Partners, said his client had now ended the strike after fears from a member of his family.

He said: "George stopped out of concern for one of his sisters and I'm glad he did because his health had suffered badly."

Naylor, 55, was convicted by a majority verdict by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court in February 1997 of the murder of Miss Stepan, whose body was found at her home in Girlington on June 9, 1995. He mounted a successful appeal against the conviction but in January last year he was again found guilty by a jury's majority verdict at a re-trial also held at Sheffield Crown Court.

He has served most of his sentence in Wakefield prison but was transferred to Durham two weeks ago.