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 don'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 didn'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 suffolk howard norwich the day 56 april
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 the day 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 april 