Police dig for a baby’s body at home of Fred and Rose West friends

and encouraged his wife have sex with other men.

He was said to have terrified some of his victims by boasting of his connections to Fred and Rose West.

Williams ran the Prince Albert pub, near 25 Cromwell Street, where the Wests murdered young women.

The depraved builder and his infatuated wife raped and tortured victims before burying their bodies.

West hanged himself while on remand. Rose West is serving life in prison for the murder of 10 women.

David Williams was to jailed Tarpaulin over the garden yesterday of paedophiles David Williams, top left, and wife Pauline, left for life and his wife sentence of 12 years.

Judge Erik Salomonsen told him: “Your behaviour towards children was sick.

“You had no conscience in using young people for your perverted sexual pleasure.”

Turning to his wife, he said: “You aided and abetted your husband to rape young girls on several occasions.”

As Bradninch struggled to come to terms with the new horror unfolding yesterday, the Williams’s former council home was a hive of police activity.

Scaffolding has been erected got a around the property, the entire garden was covered by a thick tarpaulin and a side passage was sealed off.

Two police vans were situated outside and officers using pick- axes and spades could be heard digging.

Neighbours claimed the couple would use sweets to try to coax children into their garden to play.

One mother said: “They used to encourage children to come and play in their garden. I always thought they were creepy so never had anything to do with them.

“Some people are saying they are now looking for a baby’s body but we just don’t know.

“That is just unbelievable. The thought makes you feel numb. It is just horrific.”

A village shop worker said: “The worst memory was hearing Pauline interact with the children.

“She would buy sweets and treat children when they had been good, now it makes me feel sick wondering what she meant by that.”

A postman who used to deliver to their house said: “Bradninch is such a beautiful place and this is just awful.”