Police make 'significant breakthrough' in investigation into murder of miner last seen 56 years ago

54-year-old Alfred Swinscoe went missing in what police describe as ‘mysterious and unusual circumstances’ in early 1967 after drinking at the Pinxton Miners Arms in neighbouring Derbyshire.

Human remains found in a field in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, in April 2023 have been confirmed to be Alfred, after his grandson, Russell Lowbridge – who was only four years old when Alfred went missing – responded to a police appeal and provided police with his DNA.

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said DNA tests were carried out on Russell, and on Alfred’s son, who is now in his 70s, and they both matched against the bones exhumed from the ground.

The force spokesperson says this has provided a ‘significant breakthrough’ in the murder investigation, and they believe Alfred was ‘killed and then buried in farmland around four to six feet deep’.

‘Understanding how Alfred lived may be key to understanding how he died’

A team of dedicated detectives are working alongside a team of scientists to bring his killer to justice, and Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin says if they can understand how Alfred lived, it may be key to understanding how he died.

ACC Griffin says it is hoped that ‘as time passes so do loyalties’ and people who may have had information at the time about his disappearance will come forward now.

He continued: “It is imperative that we find out what happened to Alfred to not only bring his family the closure they desperately need but to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

“His killer left six children without a father. His killer stole any chance of him building the strong and lasting bonds that grandparents have with their grandchildren.

“His killer left them with decades of unanswered questions about what happened to their loved one. We hope with the public’s help we can put that right.”

Alfred was a father-of-six and a miner, living in the small village of Pinxton in Derbyshire when he went missing. He worked at Langton Colliery from the age of 14 and was last seen at work on January 20, 1967.

Alfred, who had the nickname of ‘Sparrow’ and was known as the “Champion Pigeon Man of Pinxton” due to his love of pigeon racing, was ‘a cutter’ known for operating a machine that cut large chunks of coal out of the coal face for others to then break down..

Four of his six children are still alive and he has a number of grandchildren.

His last known sighting, the Pinxton Miners Arms in Church Street West, was a popular watering hole for the mining community. The pub, which no longer exists and has been converted into a house, is a short drive from where his remains were found on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

His family have been informed of the DNA match and are being supported by specially trained officers as this complex investigation continues.

Alfred went to use pub’s outside toilet and never returned

Detectives are now building up a picture of Alfred’s life, his past acquaintances, and a chronological order of what happened the night he went missing.

It is believed that Alfred was drinking with his two sons and friends on the night of his disappearance. He was last seen at around 10.30pm when he gave his son some money to buy a round and then left to use the outside toilet. He never returned.

Detectives believe Alfred was killed and then buried in farmland around four to 6ft deep, and there were also a number of traumatic injuries found on his skeletal remains, which are undergoing further analysis.

Further tests are also being carried out to determine how he was killed and how long he has been buried at the site in Coxmoor Road.

Work is also being carried out on clothes found with the remains including two distinctive socks and a shoe.

ACC Griffin continued said: “I cannot imagine how distressing this must have been for Alfred’s family who have been waiting 56 years for answers.

“Some of Alfred’s family members are no longer alive and will have died never knowing what happened to their loved one that night.

“All they know is Alfred went to the pub one evening and then never came home.

“We know that Alfred was murdered.

“We know this because it is quite obvious that whoever did this buried him in Coxmoor Road in the hope that no one would find him.

‘We will use all of the investigative skills at our disposal to find those responsible’

DCC Griffin said the age of Alfred’s murder is not going to affect the way in which it is investigated.

He said: “Despite this being a crime that happened more than 50 years ago this will not stop us from using all the investigative skills at our disposal to find those responsible.

“We would like to thank the media and the public for sharing our appeals, which prompted Alfred’s grandson to come forward.

“Last week, we did not know who the man in the field was and had ruled out all three of our ‘no body’ murders through DNA testing.

“This investigation is moving at speed, and we would like to appeal to members of the public again for their help.

“We would like to hear from anyone with information about Alfred. Did you know him? Did you drink at the Pinxton Miners Arms at the same time as Alfred? Is there any information that could help us understand what happened that night?

Anyone with information is asked to contact Nottinghamshire Police’s incident room by visiting: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM22E48-PO1

Alternatively, you can call their incident room on 0800 096 0095.