Alfred Swinscoe (sitting on the step) with his daughter Julie sitting on the motorbike with grandson Russell. (Image: Daily Mirror )
The disappearance of Alfred Swinscoe, 54, was a mystery so chilling that most of his family avoided mentioning it. In January 1967, on a cold night, the Derbyshire miner and pigeon racer, known as ‘Sparrow’ and ‘the Champion Pigeon Man of Pinxton’, gave his son Gary 10 shillings for last orders at the Miners’ Arms in Pinxton village, went to the pub’s outside toilet, and vanished without a trace.
Many believed that Alfred, who had recently separated from his wife, had abandoned her and their six children. However, Gary, the last person to see Alfred and Russell Lowbridge’s uncle, never accepted this theory. He held onto the hope of seeing his father again until his death in 2012.
Russell, who was only four years old when Alfred disappeared, thought he would never uncover 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 recognised one of the socks on the body as belonging to his long-lost grandfather. This 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 on top of his son Gary in January (Image: Daily Mirror )
With a cold case police investigation at a standstill and an inquest into his grandfather’s death recently adjourned, Russell is making a desperate plea for information before the case is permanently closed. Alfred Swinscoe’s fate would have remained a mystery if not for a farmer who dug a ditch next to a copse on his Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts field.
The farmer alerted the police after unearthing human bones and men’s clothing buried six feet deep, which tumbled out as he dug. The skeleton bore signs of violent trauma, indicating that the man, who still had pre-decimal coins in his pocket, had been brutally murdered.
Russell, who resides just a few miles from the field and has driven past it countless times, recalls: “I didn’t pay much attention to begin with, but then police posted a photo of a pair of odd socks and I had this incredible flashback, with the black sock in particular.
“I suddenly remembered as a kid putting on my granddad’s sock and pulling them up so the heel came right up to my knee. I called police and they came to take a DNA swab. That’s when we found out that it really was Alfred. I was shocked and flabbergasted.
Alfred Swinscoe (L) with brother Gary (Image: Daily Mirror )
“It turns out that he was wearing odd socks on the night. My initial thoughts about that were, ‘poor lad, he’d left his wife and was down on his luck, he was was in lodgings and wasn’t on top of his washing.’ Or maybe that was just one of his feet and he was wearing two socks on each. It was in the middle of winter.”
Taking about January 27, 1967 Russell says: “Gary had gone out with a mate that night and met up with granddad at the pub. He remembers his dad giving him 10 bob to get the last round, and then glancing round and seeing him going out. He assumed he was going to the outside toilets and would be right back.
“The next morning, the man he’d been lodging with came round our house in Ashfield looking for him, because he hadn’t come home that night and it was the day he had to pay his board. He thought he’d run away to get out of paying. But all the conjectures made over the past 50 years were shattered last year when scientific analysis of his remains revealed the truth.
Russell reveals: “He was murdered quite viciously. There was blunt force trauma to the head and sharp force trauma to the jaw lines, so it might have been the edge of a spade, and possibly stabbing afterwards. They said he fought for his life. There were signs of a broken hand, as if he’d given somebody a good right hook. And they found trauma to his ribs and his back, as if he’d been grappling with someone and they’d been punching him in the ribs. Police believe he’d been left somewhere for a week or more before they buried him, because there were fingers and ribs missing as if he’d been ravaged by foxes and badgers. Whoever killed him went back to make sure he was never found.”
Russell Lowbridge at the site of the Miner’s Arms pub in Pinxton, now a private home (Image: Daily Mirror )
Russell said: “The police also believe that whoever did it had a car, because of the distance to the field, and there weren’t a lot of cars on the road at that time. Did they kill him first, or hoodwink him into taking a ride, then stop somewhere and do the deed?”
One suspect was known for violence and theft and was present at the Miners’ Arms the evening Alfred vanished. His past violent actions, including an assault in April 1966 that resulted in similar injuries to those found on Alfred’s body, raised suspicions with the authorities.
Discussing family suspicions, Russell revealed: “My uncle had already suspected one of them. He’d had been in a battle or two with him himself and he’d been in the forces so knew military tactics. He always thought he was the prime suspect and even challenged him many times over the years.”
Russell expressed doubts regarding the involvement of the second suspect: “But I don’t agree with the police about the other one. I can’t bring myself to believe that he was also involved.”
Police cordoned off the field after Alfred’s remains were discovered (Image: Daily Mirror )
In January, the grieving family of Alfred laid him to rest in Sutton-in-Ashfield cemetery, atop his son Gary and beside his daughter Carol and loyal wife Caroline, who never found love again after his disappearance. The service was graced by Stephen Blakeley, once PC Younger on Heartbeat, now lending his star power to funeral services as a celebrity officiant.
Russell reflects with sombre relief: “It’s some comfort for the family to know he didn’t abandon them, and that he’s not lost anymore. But it’s so tragic that poor Uncle Gary never got to find out what happened to him.” At last, the enigma that overshadowed their lives for years has been unravelled, yet the questions that remain cast long shadows.
“Now it’s the whys,” says Russell. “Why did someone do that to him? He never upset anyone, except for his fellow pigeon fanciers. 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 have wanted him dead.”
“I believe that somebody, somewhere, knows the truth. It could be that whoever did it kept schtum all their lives and made a deathbed confession, and that their sons or daughters know something but don’t want to say. My fear is that the police will close the case and we’ll never find out. I just hope that someone will come forward so Alfred’s family can finally find peace.”
Russell said he had a flashback after seeing a photo of his grandfather’s odd socks (Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin of Nottinghamshire Police has made a harrowing statement: “Alfred died in the most horrendous way imaginable. Not only did he suffer violent injuries, but he was then buried in a field so that no one would find him.
“What makes this crime even more distressing is that it has taken more than 50 years for his remains to be found and for his family to be reunited with their loved one so he can have a proper burial.Of course, there will be little relief for his family as there are still so many unanswered questions of 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 knew Alfred, are no longer alive and we may never get the full picture of what occurred in January 1967. That certainly hasn’t stifled our determination to investigate this crime and leave no stone unturned to find his killer or killers.
“During our investigation we have identified two potential suspects which under normal circumstances if Alfred had been murdered today, would have been arrested and brought in for questioning. We don’t have that opportunity as they are no longer alive.”
The Assistant Chief Constable concluded with an appeal: “We will continue to investigate this crime and continue to look at all new and existing avenues available to us.nIt is more than a year since Alfred was found and we would like to hear from anyone who has not yet come forward to do so and help us with our investigation.
“As time goes by, loyalties change, and we would 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.”
