I thought the rule of thumb was that only ramblers got pruned back ?
Or is it the other way round ?

Yes, i've always thought that suckers have more leaflets, thornier stems too.

Suckers do usually have more leaflets, but not necessarily. Trace them back to their start point - if they're coming up from below ground, or below the graft point, are growing rapidly, faster than the others, have lots of thorns, leaflets are pale green, they're suckers. If they arise from above the graft point, they're not.
And Louise is right - ramblers should be properly pruned in September, climbers can be topped then and tied in, but their proper prune should be end of February, beginning of March.

Are the suckers a darker reddish colour and fatter than the other stems ?

No, not always - some rose bushes produce red stems at first which then change colour as they get older which aren't suckers.

Helll bamboo i have a climbing rose pf some sort i use as an anti burgler plant if you will . it has lovley smelling little white flowers and is right up in my cherry tree and along my back wall . i had to cut it the other day as its hanging down in a comunial alley wear our wheely bins go . i dont mind what slrt it is or if its wild bjt just wonderd about cutting it now . im thinking it wont matter to much . what do you think please x x .

Sounds like a pretty tough one, and cutting off long growths which are hanging down shouldn't cause a problem - its hard pruning now that's not advisable.

Thank ylu so much bambop . it is realy tough . my old art teacher dug it up mid summer without hardly a root or a branch pn it . i didnt give it much hope but it flew up . it looks lovley 30 feet up my cheery tree in bloom . thanx again x x and sorry for stealing someone elses question lol .