Sutton-in-Ashfield: Remains confirmed as miner who went missing in 1967

Police have confirmed human remains found in a field are of a miner who went missing 56 years ago.

The remains were discovered in farmland off Coxmoor Road in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, on 26 April.

A murder inquiry was launched last month and police have now confirmed the deceased man is father-of-six Alfred Swinscoe.

Officers believe he was killed and buried in land about four to six-foot deep.

Nottinghamshire Police said officers were contacted by Russell Lowbridge, who was four years old when his grandfather went missing in "mysterious and unusual circumstances".

DNA tests were carried out on Mr Lowbridge and Mr Swinscoe's son, now in his 70s, and matched against the bones exhumed from the ground.

Police believe Mr Swinscoe - who was 54 at the time he went missing - was murdered due to the injuries sustained, including trauma to parts of the skeleton that were found.

Mr Lowbridge addressed reporters at a press conference on Thursday.

"This has filled our family with very mixed emotions," he said.

"Relief that we can finally put my grandfather to rest but incredible pain and sadness to uncover what had happened to him."

Mr Swinscoe's disappearance "tormented" his son Gary, who died in 2012 "never knowing what happened to his dad".

"He just remembers his dad giving him a 10-bob note - telling him to get a round and then never ever seeing him again," Mr Lowbridge said.

"It completely broke him."

Mr Swinscoe's daughter Julie said she "doesn't want to go to her grave" not knowing what happened to her dad.

She said: "I was 25 at the time, a factory worker and I remember coming home one day from work and people saying they couldn't find dad. He had gone missing, and the police were searching.

"We never expected that the remains found in Sutton would be him. I practically went hysterical. I said: 'he can't have lay in that field for 56 years and no-one could find him until now.'

"I would like to think I could die knowing the truth. I am 82 now and I could go myself at any time."

Mr Swinscoe was living in the Derbyshire village of Pinxton when he went missing.

He worked at Langton Colliery as a "cutter", known for operating a machine that cut large chunks of coal out of the coal face for others to then break down.

Mr Swinscoe had the nickname "Sparrow" and was also known as "Champion Pigeon Man of Pinxton", due to his love of pigeon racing.

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

His last known sighting was at the Pinxton Miners Arms, a pub that was popular with the local mining community before it closed and was converted into a house.

The former pub is a "short drive" from where the remains were located.

It is thought Mr Swinscoe was drinking with his two sons and a friend on the night of his disappearance.

He was last seen giving money to son Gary to buy a round and then left to use the outside toilet.

Police said further tests were being carried out to determine how Mr Swinscoe was killed and how long he had been buried.

Work is also ongoing on the clothes found with the remains, including two socks and a shoe.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin 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.

"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."

Mr Griffin added: "As time passes, so do loyalties and we hope that people who may have had information at the time about his disappearance will come forward now.

"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."

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