Police have identified two suspects in the murder mystery case of a miner whose remains were found buried in a field 56 years after he vanished.

Dad-of-six Alfred Swinscoe, 54, was last seen drinking at the Miners Arms pub in Pinxton, Notts., in January 1967.

He had given his son money to buy a round of drinks before going outside to use the toilet at around 10.30pm.

Tragically he was never seen alive again - sparking decades of agony for his family as they sought to uncover what happened to him.

His remains were found more than 50 years later in April last year in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts., where digging work was being carried out on farmland.

It is believed the former miner was murdered and then buried in a grave between 4ft to 6ft deep.

Nottinghamshire Police today (Fri) launched a fresh appeal over the murder and revealed two potential suspect have been identified.

However, neither of the suspects are still alive and detectives are still urging anyone with information to come forward.

Scientists have also been carrying out extensive work on Alfred's bones to determine the cause of death.

They believe he sustained a "significant stab injury and blunt force trauma" to his body and he also had a broken hand, suggesting he tried to fight his attackers off."

As some bones were missing from the site where he was found, experts believe it was highly likely he was killed at a different location and then moved to be buried at a later date.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "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."

"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."

"We will continue to investigate this crime and continue to look at all new and existing avenues available to us."

Police say one of the suspects had a history of violence at the time of Alfred's disappearance.

Some of the injuries found on Alfred were similar to those he had inflicted on a man he was convicted of assaulting in April 1966.

Detectives have since interviewed a number of people who knew Alfred in an attempt to build up a better picture of him.

Witness statements have also been taken from those who saw him in the days leading up to his disappearance and the night he went missing.

Medical notes and work rotas from his time as a miner have also been analysed to narrow down the exact time he went missing.

Officers have also carried out criminal record and background checks on those living in the area at the time as well as those who had access to a vehicle, as it would have been "rare to own a car in Pinxton in 1967."

Detectives believe a vehicle would have been used during this crime as it was some distance between the Pinxton Arms where Alfred was last seen and Coxmoor Lane where he was buried.

Alfred worked at Langton Colliery from the age of 14 and was last seen at work on January 27, 1967.

He 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.

He had the nickname of ‘Sparrow' and was known as the "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.

ACC Griffin added: ""It 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."

"I would also like to thank all the people that contacted us and offered vital information to our inquiry. "

"The response from our reconstruction on Crimewatch was very much appreciated."

"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."

Mr Swinscoe's grandson, Russell Lowbridge, told the BBC: "Finding out he was murdered was a shock. It took some sinking in."

"It's all a bit disturbing and upsetting."

"Anybody that knew anything, they've kept it a secret. It would be wonderful if people did come forward - it would help put our minds at rest."

"It will always haunt us; we'll always be left wondering. We have got some closure, but not full closure. There are still questions to be answered."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the link https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM22E48-PO1 or calling 101 quoting incident number 648 of the 26th April 2023.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.