A prisoner serving life for the murder of a Bradford prostitute is on hunger strike in a bid to protest his innocence.

George Naylor has twice been tried and convicted of the killing of 18-year-old Maureen Stepan in 1995 but he was granted leave to appeal 16 months ago.

He is now refusing food in protest about the time taken to get documents released by the Court of Appeal so he can challenge his conviction at a re-trial four years ago.

Naylor was today in the 14th day of his hunger strike at Frankland Prison, Durham, according to his solicitor Stephen Couch.

And in a letter to the Telegraph & Argus, Naylor confirmed he was on a hunger strike and repeated his claims of innocence over the death of Miss Stepan.

Mr Couch, who has represented Naylor for 29 years, visited him in prison last week and said the hunger strike had taken an immense toll on his health.

"The appeal is taking rather a long time to deal with which is why he is upset," said Mr Couch, a consultant at William Hicks and Partners in Bradford.

"When I saw him he looked very ill indeed. Before, he had been a very fit man and healthy but now I'm not sure how long he will last."

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, which houses some of the most dangerous criminals in the country, but Mr Couch said he was transferred to Durham two weeks ago for his own safety after he was attacked by other inmates.

"From what I understand George is just on liquids, but I don't think it has got to the stage yet of being fed by tube," said Mr Couch.

"He has said he would do this before and I have dissuaded him in the past but it was easier to keep in touch with him before he was transferred from to Durham.

"We have been awaiting certain transcripts from the Court of Appeal which we need to state our additional grounds for appeal before a date for the hearing can be set."

A Prison Service spokesman said she could not comment on the circumstances of an individual inmate.

A spokesman for the Court of Appeal said Naylor's case was being examined by the department's head lawyer but there was no specific time scale laid down for appeal hearings.