Coroner concludes former miner who went missing more than 50 years ago was 'unlawfully killed'

A coroner has concluded that a former miner, whose remains were found in a field in Nottinghamshire more than 50 years after he disappeared was unlawfully killed.

Father-of-six Alfred Swinscoe was 54 when he mysteriously disappeared after a visit to a North Nottinghamshire pub in early 1967.

He handed his son, Gary, money to buy a round and went to use the outside toilet but never returned.

His fate remained a mystery until his remains were unearthed during construction work on farmland in Sutton-in-Ashfield in April last year.

Nottinghamshire Police believe Alfred Swinsoe, 54, from Pinxton in Derbyshire was murdered then buried in a grave.

Mr Swinscoe's identity was only established when Russell, who was only four when his grandfather went missing, recognised items of clothing found with the remains, including two distinctive socks and a shoe.

DNA tests on Mr Swinscoe's family members matched the bones exhumed from the ground.

Mr Swinscoe was formally identified on May 28 2023 by DNA analysis results which provided "extremely strong" support for the proposition that the identified deceased was Alfred Swinscoe.

Scientific examinations have shown that Mr Swinscoe died with a broken hand, which police believe may have been sustained while trying to fight off an attacker or attackers.

He also sustained a significant stab injury and blunt force trauma to parts of his body.

It is thought his remains were moved from where he was killed at a much later date, due to the fact that some bones were missing from the site where he was found.

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