Bodies in garden ‘could be elderly couple’

Nottinghamshire Police believe they could be William Wycherley, who would now have been 100, and his wife Patricia, 79.

The couple moved in to the semi-detached house in 
Blenheim Close, Forest Town, Mansfield, in 1987, but there has been no trace of the pair since 1998, police said.

Neighbours last week said they believed the couple had emigrated after they vanished from the address in the 1990s.

One woman, who did not want to be named, said: “I only saw the man a few times. I never saw the lady or any family. I’ve lived here for 18 years. They were living at the house when I moved in.

“But they never had any visitors. I never saw anyone coming or going.

“My friend and I always used to say ‘I wonder what happened to that couple’. They just disappeared. We thought they had emigrated.”

It is thought the house stood empty for a number of years before a new tenant moved in seven years ago. Police have ruled them and the current owner of the house out of their investigation.

Nottinghamshire Police said the couple’s “disappearance” is central to their inquiry into the remains.

The circumstances of their disappearance remains a “mystery”, Nottinghamshire Police said.

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Griffin, who is leading the investigation, said: “Neither William nor Patricia was ever reported missing and we can find no evidence of either of them being alive or dead. The discovery in their former garden last week may be the reason why.

“We have yet to formally identify the remains, and so cannot say with 100 per cent certainty who we have found, but it’s not a great leap to imagine it might be the Wycherleys.”

A post-mortem examination has been carried out on the bodies but the results have not yet been released.

Police say further tests are due to take place and formal identification of the bodies is expected to take several weeks.

Mr Griffin added: “While we await the results I would like to appeal to anyone who knows what happened to William or Patricia, after they disappeared from their home in Forest Town in 1998, to call police.

“William, known to many as Bill, would have turned 100 last year and Patricia, or Pat, would be 79. Do you know them? Have you seen or heard from them since 1998?

“If you have any information that may help our inquiry, no matter how small, and you have yet to speak to us, please phone us.”

The bodies were unearthed after police received a tip-off about an “incident” which happened in the late 1990s. Officers have since spoken to members of Mr and Mrs Wycherley’s family.