Alfred Swinscoe (sitting on step) with his daughter Julie sitting on motorcycle with grandson Russell. (Image: Daily Mirror)
THE disappearance of Alfred Swinscoe, 54, was such a frightening mystery that most of his family avoided mentioning it. On a cold January night in 1967, the Derbyshire miner and pigeon racer, known as ‘Sparrow’ and ‘the Pinxton Champion Pigeon’, gave his son Gary 10 shillings for last orders at the Miners’ Arms in the village of Pinxton, went to the pub’s outhouse and disappeared without a trace.
Many believed that Alfred, who had recently separated from his wifeabandoned her and her six children. However, Gary, the last person to see Alfred and Russell Lowbridge’s uncle, never accepted this theory. He clung to the hope of seeing his father again until his death in 2012.
Russell, who was just four years old when Alfred disappeared, thought he would never find out the truth. But while browsing social media one day, he came across a police post about a body found in a farmer’s field.
To his shock, he recognized one of the socks on the body as belonging to his long-lost grandfather. The discovery marked the beginning of a year that resolved decades of uncertainty but also raised questions that Russell fears will remain unanswered, reports the mirror.
Alfred was buried above his son Gary in January (Image: Daily Mirror)
With a cold case police investigation stalled and an inquest into his grandfather’s death recently adjourned, Russell is making a desperate appeal for information before the case is permanently closed. The fate of Alfred Swinscoe would have remained a mystery if it weren’t for a farmer who dug a ditch next to a woodland in his field in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts.
The farmer alerted police after unearthing human bones and men’s clothing buried six feet underground, which had fallen out while he was digging. The skeleton showed signs of blunt force trauma, indicating that the man, who still had pre-decimal coins in his pocket, had been brutally murdered.
Russell, who lives just a few miles from the camp and has driven past it countless times, recalls: “At first I didn’t pay much attention, but then the police posted a picture of a pair of different socks and I had an incredible flashback, especially the black sock.
“I suddenly remembered as a child putting on my grandfather’s sock and pulling it up so the heel was right up to my knee. I called the police and they came to do a DNA test. That’s when we found out it was really Alfred. I was shocked and amazed.
Alfred Swinscoe (L) with brother Gary (Image: Daily Mirror)
“It turns out he was wearing different socks that night. My initial thoughts about it were, ‘Poor guy, he’d left his wife and was out of luck, he was in a dorm and not on top of the laundry.’ Or maybe it was just one of his feet and he was wearing two socks on each. It was the middle of winter.”
Taking it around 27 January 1967, Russell says: “Gary had been out with a friend that evening and met his grandfather in the pub. He remembers his father giving him 10 shillings to pay for the last round, and then looking around and seeing him leaving. He assumed he was going to the outside toilets and would be back shortly.
“The next morning the man he was staying with came to our house in Ashfield looking for him because he had not returned home that night and it was the day he had to pay his pension. He thought he had run away to avoid paying. But all the conjecture over the past 50 years was shattered last year when scientific analysis of his remains revealed the truth.
Russell reveals: “He was murdered in a pretty gruesome way. There was blunt force trauma to the head and sharp trauma to the jaw lines, so it could have been the tip of a shovel, and possibly a stab wound afterwards. They said he fought for his life. There were signs of a broken hand, as if he had given someone a good right hook. And they found trauma to his ribs and back, as if he had been fighting with someone and they were punching him in the ribs. The police believe he was left somewhere for a week or more before they buried him, because there were fingers and ribs missing, as if he had been ravaged by foxes and badgers. Whoever killed him came back to make sure he was never found.”
Russell Lowbridge on the site of the Miner’s Arms pub in Pinxton, now a private home (Image: Daily Mirror)
Russell said: “Police also believe whoever did this had a car, because of the distance to the field, and there weren’t many cars on the road at the time. Did they kill him first, or trick him into taking a ride, then stop somewhere and do the deed?”
One suspect was known for violence and robbery and was present at the Miners’ Arms on the night Alfred disappeared. His past violent actions, including an assault in April 1966 that resulted in injuries similar to those found on Alfred’s body, raised suspicions with the authorities.
Discussing the family’s suspicions, Russell revealed: “My uncle already suspected one of them. He had been in one or two battles with him and he had been in the forces so he knew military tactics. He always thought he was the prime suspect and even challenged him many times over the years.”
Russell expressed doubts about the second suspect’s involvement: “But I don’t agree with the police about the other one. I can’t believe he’s involved either.”
Police cordoned off the camp after Alfred’s remains were discovered (Image: Daily Mirror)
In January, Alfred’s grieving family laid him to rest at Sutton-in-Ashfield cemetery, above his son Gary and alongside his daughter Carol and his loyal wife Caroline, who never found love again after his disappearance. The service was graced by Stephen Blakeley, formerly PC Younger in Heartbeat, now lending his star power to funeral services as a celebrity celebrant.
Russell reflects with somber relief: “It is a comfort to the family to know that he has not abandoned them and that he is no longer lost. But it is so tragic that poor Uncle Gary has never been able to find out what happened to him.” Finally, the enigma that had shadowed their lives for years has been solved, but the questions that remain cast long shadows.
“Now the whys,” Russell says. “Why would someone do this to him? He never bothered anyone except his fellow pigeon breeders. He wasn’t a violent man, he didn’t get into fights and he was known for being generous. I just don’t understand why anyone would want him dead.”
“I believe that someone, somewhere knows the truth. It could be that whoever did this kept quiet all their life and made a deathbed confession, and that their sons or daughters know something but don’t want to say it. My fear is that the police will close the case and we’ll never find out. I just hope that someone comes forward so that Alfred’s family can finally find peace.”
Russell said he had a flashback after seeing a photo of his grandfather’s weird socks (Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin of Nottinghamshire Police made a harrowing statement: “Alfred died in the most horrific way imaginable. Not only did he suffer from violent injuries, but he was buried in a field so no one would find him.
“What makes this crime even more harrowing is that it took more than 50 years for his remains to be found and for his family to be reunited with their loved one so he could have a proper burial. Of course, there will be little relief for his family as there are still many unanswered questions about what happened that night and the motive behind his murder.”
Reflecting on the challenges of the case, he said: “Many of the people who would have been with Alfred that night, or who knew Alfred, are no longer alive and we may never have a full picture of what occurred in January 1967. That certainly has not dampened our determination to investigate this crime and leave no stone unturned to find his killer or killers.
“During our investigation, we identified two potential suspects who, under normal circumstances, if Alfred had been murdered today, would have been arrested and taken in for questioning. We do not have that opportunity as they are no longer alive.”
The Deputy Chief Constable concluded with an appeal: “We will continue to investigate this crime and will continue to pursue all new and existing avenues available to us. It has been over a year since Alfred was found and we would like to hear from anyone who has not yet come forward to help us with our investigation.
“As time passes, loyalties change, and we would like to ask those who have more information about Alfred’s death to please come forward and do the right thing and help this grieving family get the closure they desperately need and deserve. This will continue to be at the heart of everything we do.”