Mechanic Clive Howard carried out a string of rapes and attempted kidnaps on lone women in Norwich , Suffolk and Cambridge over a 28 year period . A mechanic who lived a calm , quiet life with his elderly parents was all the time living a secret double life as a sex attacker . Clive Howard , 56 , of Suffolk , has admitted carrying out a string of rapes and kidnaps of women during a 28 year period . The serial rapist confessed to the crimes after he was caught after raping a woman at a car park in Norwich when his number plate was recorded on CCTV . But police fear he may have carried out even more attacks across three different counties and have appealed for any victims to come forward . Detective Sergeant Chris Burgess , of Norfolk Police rape investigation unit said : 'Cases like this do n't come up very often - we 're talking about a serial rapist . 'We want to give people the chance to come forward . ' Howard , who lived a double life with his parents , had initially denied the rape in Norwich but changed his plea on the day of his trial . At a hearing at Norwich Crown Court he admitted seven counts of rape , three charges of attempted kidnap and one count of attempted rape , between 1986 and 2014 . Howard , of Battisford , near Stowmarket , Suffolk , was caught by police after he attacked a woman in St Helens Wharf car park , Norwich , on May 30 2014 . The victim , in her 20s , was walking home after a night out when she was given a lift by Howard , who then raped her . She tried to take a picture of the car 's registration number but Howard grabbed her phone and hurled it into a bush before he sped off . The woman found it before dialling 999 . Police were able to get part of the car 's number plate from CCTV - and that led them straight to Howard , the registered owner . He was arrested and charged a few days later . Det Sgt Burgess said Howard had done 'two to three loops ' around the city 'before he managed to pick his victim ' . After he was charged Howard 's DNA was put into the national police database which raised an unsolved case in Cambridgeshire in 2013 . Howard was caught after part of his Volvo number plate was captured on CCTV after he raped a woman . Howard 's number plate was recorded after he parked at St Helens Wharf in Norwich and raped the woman . Detectives found 'striking similarities ' to the Norwich assault . Howard 's DNA matched a profile obtained during an investigation into the attempted kidnap of a woman in her 20s on May 5 , 2013 in Cambridge park Christ 's Pieces . The woman managed to fend off Howard , scratching him in the process , and DNA was later retrieved from underneath her fingernail . He was linked to three other attempted kidnappings in Cambridge , one of which happened just 30 minutes before he struck in Christ 's Pieces . Howard also tried to abduct two women in the city on February 15 , 2014 , during the night . Det Sgt Burgess said : 'All were in the early hours of the morning . 'Each of the women were approached by a man who had got out of a car and attempted to get them into it . ' He lived a double life with his parents as a mechanic but carried out a string of rapes and attempted kidnaps . He added : ' I 'm concerned there are other victims out there either in Norfolk , Suffolk or Cambridge and would urge other women to come forward . 'It 's very rare . ' As well as the rape in Norwich , Howard also admitted six counts of rape against a woman between November 1986 and March 1993 . Howard , who is understood to have had an 82-year-old girlfriend , was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at the court on April 20 . Judge Stephen Holt told him : 'You 've pleaded guilty and the one thing that can be said is your victim has been spared the ordeal of giving evidence . ' I 'm sure you will understand I need to have a full pre-sentence report and the whole issue of whether you need to be sentenced as a dangerous offender will be made . ' Det Sgt Burgess said : 'Reliving an experience such as this is never easy for a victim of sexual assault . ' I recognise the bravery shown by all victims in this case who would have been prepared to give evidence , had the case gone to trial . 'Howard 's guilty plea demonstrates the strong case police had against him and I believe women are safer with this dangerous man off the streets , ' he said . ' A striking similarity between the cases is that Howard would prey on women walking alone at night . ' I hope his guilty plea goes some way to helping his victims move forward from this terrible experience . ' Howard was a respectable garage mechanic who did n't have a criminal record and lived an extraordinary double life with his elderly parents in Battisford . He also had his own house in nearby Stowmarket . He is thought to have had an 82-year-old girlfriend but was 'actively seeking sexual partners ' on internet dating sites .
Clive Howard is a mechanic who lived calmly with his Suffolk parents . But he lived a double life and committed string of rapes and kidnaps . Howard was caught after he raped a woman in a car park in Norwich . DNA was put into database and matched to other attacks on lone women . On April of his trial Howard , 56 , admitted seven charges of rape . He also admitted three of attempted kidnap and one of attempted rape . Police fear there may be more victims and have appealed for witnesses . Howard is likely to face lengthy prison term when he is sentenced in the day .