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Detectives feared the notorious murderer may have killed more women across Britain and Europe

Convicted serial killer John Sweeney, dubbed the "canal killer", has died from cancer aged 69 at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire.

His death on August 14 leaves unanswered questions over whether he had other victims.

Sweeney was handed a whole-life tariff at the Old Bailey in 2011 after being convicted of murdering two former girlfriends, Melissa Halstead and Paula Fields.

He disposed of their mutilated remains in canals, while also calling himself the "Scalp Hunter".

Ms Halstead, a 33-year-old American photographer and model, was discovered in a bag floating in a Rotterdam canal in May 1990.

Her remains went unidentified for nearly two decades before DNA analysis confirmed her identity in 2008.

Ms Fields, 31, was found in the Regent's Canal in Camden, north London, in February 2001 after schoolboy anglers pulled her body from the water.

The heads, hands and feet of both victims had been removed, with Sweeney refusing to reveal what he had done with them.

Detectives believed Sweeney's catalogue of violence could have extended beyond the two murders for which he was convicted.

Officers appealed for help tracing three women who had been romantically involved with him: a trainee nurse from Derbyshire known as Sue, a Brazilian woman called Irani and a Colombian woman named Maria.

Detective Chief Inspector Howard Groves said: "This investigation will continue as we seek to identify and trace other potential victims in the UK, Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, who may have suffered a similar fate to that of Melissa and Paula."

Dutch authorities also investigated allegations that Sweeney had bragged about killing two German men, although he was never charged with additional offences.

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Sweeney told investigators he had maintained "30 to 40" relationships across Europe throughout his life.

His history of extreme violence stretched back years, with Sweeney attempting to kill another former girlfriend, Delia Balmer, with an axe in 1994.

He evaded capture for six years before police finally apprehended him.

Officers discovered sinister artwork among his possessions depicting dismembered female body parts, satanic imagery and a self-portrait as the Devil.

One sketch, titled "The Scalp Hunter", depicted a woman's skull dangling from a belt alongside an axe.

Police also found a poem referencing Halstead: "Poor old Melissa, chopped her up in bits, food to feed the fish, Am*dam was the pits."

When passing sentence, Mr Justice Saunders described Sweeney's crimes as "terrible" and "wicked," and said the removal of the victims' heads made it "impossible to be certain how they were killed".

Prosecutor Brian Altman KC said Sweeney's possessions revealed "an obsessive and virulent hatred of women, and a preoccupation with dismemberment".

A Prison Service spokesman said: "These were horrific crimes and our thoughts remain with the victims and their loved ones."