A woman who fell to her death from a third storey, flat window was said to be terrified of being the next victim of the Lund Park attacker.

Neighbours of middle-aged Ann Marie Ginley, who was found lying on the cobbles in Low Street, Keighley, early Tuesday morning, have described how she would frequently be heard calling out of her window for help.

Neighbour James Gunn, 24, says: "She's been upset about the Lund park attacker and she's been really worried.

"She often shouted out of the window over to Church Green asking people to call the police because someone was attacking her," he says.

"She told me how worried she was about this attacker and even said someone was banging on her wall," he says.

He adds she was totally preoccupied with the attacker.

"She's barricaded herself into her house. She was really paranoid about it all," says Mr Gunn.

Another neighbour gave the Keighley News a letter which Ann Marie had sent to all the residents of the block warning them of the dangers.

The letter reads: "Do not at no cost allow no strangers into these premises whatsoever because the man with the baseball bat has been in here one morning at my door."

The letter describes how she claims she had heard the attacker banging his baseball bat against her wall at around 6.30am one morning.

The three-page letter finishes: "It does say on the front door not to let no strangers in. Don't. He's a proper madman."

Another neighbour, who also did not wish to be named, described Ann Marie, of flat 10, Changegate House, as "a nice woman, but a bit scatty though." He says he heard Ann Marie shouting from the window the night she died.

He says: "She was shouting at about one o'clock in the morning and the police came and told her to get in.

"She was always on about that Keighley attacker but I don't know what happened."

The neighbour, who has only recently moved to Changegate House, says that she could often be heard shouting late at night.

"She was shouting the night before towards the Rodney about the attacker - "I can see you" and all that.

Local newsagents, Tony and Pat Earnshaw, found Ann Marie, when they arrived at work at around 6.30am and immediately called for an ambulance.

Mr Earnshaw says: "She was face down and I couldn't see any movement. She was dressed and just laid out."

Mr Earnshaw, called her 'one of the area's characters' and says she was a common sight in Low Street, outside his shop.

"She was always friendly to us but she'd shout abuse at anyone else. She used to shout and bawl," he says.

Sergeant Paul Taylor, of Keighley police, says the ambulance called by Mr and Mrs Earnshaw took her to hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

He says: "We're investigating that matter at the moment and we are keeping an open mind about it."

He confirms the police called on her on Monday night and adds: "She was shouting out for the police last night but that's not an uncommon thing. She's known to us as a person that calls us quite a lot. The inquest is due to be opened and adjourned today at Bradford coroner's court under coroner Roger Whittaker.

Detective CI Gary Baker says: "She does seem to have this fixation about the attacker. That is a line of enquiry that we are looking at.

"We are not convinced that there's anything suspicious."

DCI Baker did not confirm the flat was barricaded but said: "We did have some difficulty getting into the flat."

BOYFRIEND Michael Boldy has told how Ann Marie was obsessed by the Lund Park attacker - and 'more frightened than ever.'

He says: "Ever since she heard about the attacker, it seemed to have a fix on her.

"She thought he was about somewhere and would put the sideboard up against the door to protect herself. I told her not to be too obsessed with it."

Mr Boldy, an unemployed security officer was devastated by the loss of his long-term partner.

"She had given me a Valentine card and we wanted to get married but we didn't have the money.

"I love her that much and I shall miss her. She always used to stick up for me and help me with my paper round."

He adds that Ann Marie had developed a tendency to perch on the window-edge of her flat.

"I told her not to sit there as it was dangerous."

Her parents, Annie and Paddy Ginley, of West Lane, Keighley, were too upset to talk.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.