Steve Wright, 50, of Ipswich, Suffolk, was sentenced to life in prison in February following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

In March, Wright applied for permission to appeal, claiming he had an unfair trial and was wrongly advised by his defence team.

But the BBC has reported that Wright's bid has been rejected.

The bodies of Gemma Adams, 25, Tania Nicol, 19, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, were found dumped at remote locations around Ipswich over a 10-day period in December 2006.

The Crown Prosecution Service, Suffolk Police and the Court of Appeal in London were unable to confirm the report.

His solicitor was unavailable for comment.