In a bone-chilling exclusive, a former lodger of Fred and Rose West has broken a five-decade silence to reveal the horrifying red flags he witnessed inside their infamous 'House of Horrors' at the peak of their murderous rampage.
Howard Ogden, now 74, spent three months living at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, in 1972—a period when the depraved couple were actively abducting, torturing, and murdering young women. His terrifying account provides a unique glimpse into the domestic facade that concealed unimaginable evil.
The Invitation Into Hell
"It's haunted me for 50 years," Ogden confesses, detailing how he accepted Fred's offer of a cheap room after a chance meeting. He describes an immediate sense of unease, a feeling that something was profoundly wrong within the walls of the unassuming terraced house.
Chilling Encounters & Unexplained Sounds
Ogden's testimony is packed with disturbing incidents that now scream with sinister meaning:
- The Stench of Death: A foul, inexplicable smell permeated the house, which Fred casually blamed on a 'blocked drain'.
- Fred's Jekyll and Hyde Persona: The charming exterior would vanish in an instant, revealing a violent, controlling monster, especially towards his wife Rose.
- Mysterious Disappearances: Young women would frequently visit the house but were never seen leaving.
- Noises From Below: Ogden recalls hearing strange, distressing sounds emanating from the cellar late at night—sounds he now believes were the cries of the Wests' victims.
The Final Straw
The lodger's stay ended abruptly after a particularly violent outburst from Fred. "I saw pure evil in his eyes that day," Ogden states. He packed his bags and fled, forever haunted by the fear of what he might have inadvertently witnessed and the girls he saw who may have never made it out alive.
His testimony stands as a terrifying reminder of how evil can fester behind the most ordinary of doors, its warning signs often only recognised in heartbreaking hindsight.
