The move came as it emerged that the 49-year-old, pictured above, could face Lancashire police over the unsolved 1975 murder of Joan Harrison in Preston.
Humble was arrested on Tuesday at his home in Flodden Road, Sunderland, accused of sending the tape and letters which fooled police into believing the Yorkshire Ripper was from Castletown.


Tape-hoax accused may face murder probe

WEARSIDE Jack suspect John Humble was today charged by detectives – 27 years after the infamous hoax brought terror to Sunderland.
West Yorkshire Police moved as it emerged that the 49-year-old could be interviewed about the unsolved murder of Joan Harrison in 1975.
He was held after the force swooped on his Ford Estate home in Sunderland on Tuesday and he was appearing at Leeds Magistrates Court this afternon.
Humble is suspected of sending the infamous tape and letters 27 years ago which fooled police into believing the Yorkshire Ripper was from Wearside.
Investigations centred on Castletown after the tape mocking detectives was analysed by voice recognition experts – as the real Ripper continued to kill.
But the inquiry this week switched to the other side of the Wear, to Ford Estate where Humble now lives and the Hylton Lane estate, where he grew up and lived until about five years ago.
A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said today: "A 49-year-old man from the Ford Estate in Sunderland has now been charged with perverting the course of justice.
"He will appear before Leeds Magistrates' Court today at 2pm."
Lancashire Police sources today revealed that they may want to question Humble over the murder of Ms Harrison in 1975.
Det Insp Joe Kellett said: "We are going to be liaising with our colleagues in West Yorkshire and will be reviewing our case papers on the Joan Harrison murder. Then we will make a decision as to whether to go and interview Mr Humble."
In one letter, Wearside Jack made reference to the killing, which has yet to be solved.
Sutcliffe, who was jailed in 1981 for the murder of 13 women, has always denied killing Mrs Harrison, whose badly-beaten body, which had bite marks on it, was found in a Preston garage.
In a letter to West Yorkshire Police, Wearside Jack made references to the murder of the 26-year-old prostitute.
Police forensic experts today left Humble's two-bedroom council house in Flodden Road, which he shared with brother and sister.
The Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, had been questioned a number of times by the investigation team but was eliminated from the inquiry because detectives were looking for someone from the North East.
While officers concentrated so much effort on Sunderland, Sutcliffe went on to murder three more women and take his victim total to 13. He was caught in 1981 and is in Broadmoor.
Retired detective superintendent Dick Holland said: "I'm pleased an arrest has been made."



SEARCHING FOR CLUES: Forensic teams search John Humble's home in Flodden Road, Ford Estate. The Wearside Jack suspect was charged this morning with perverting the course of justice.