Officers hit streets for clues to murder

Simon Holdsworth's fiancee, Carleen McKeown

A week after the 36-year-old’s death, police officers and Police Community Support Officers handed out posters and leaflets to residents in the Hackenthorpe area in a bid to identify witnesses.

Mr Holdsworth, described by colleagues as a “dedicated family man”, was heading home at the end of a shift at FBS Prestige in Intake, where he worked as a paint sprayer, at 10.55pm on Monday, December 16.

He was given a lift by a colleague to a bus stop in Mansfield Road, close to the Noah’s Ark pub and then, shortly after 11pm, Mr Holdsworth got on the number 120 First Bus. CCTV footage shows him getting off the bus at his usual stop, in Birley Spa Lane, around 10 minutes later.

Police believe he was attacked minutes after leaving the bus.

Temporary Detective Superintendent Phil Etheridge, who is leading the enquiry, said: “We know there were people in the vicinity of the bus stop as Mr Holdsworth got off the number 120 bus close to the Hogs Head pub.

“He would have then headed towards the pub itself and the field behind Rainbow Forge Primary School.

“His usual route home would have taken him across that field. However, as we know, Mr Holdsworth never made it home that night.

A CCTV image of the last time Simon Holdsworth was seen alive, as he tok the bus home from work.

“Shortly after getting off the number 120 bus, he would have encountered his attacker or attackers.”

The senior detective added: “I am reiterating my appeal for  residents in Hackenthorpe to check their gardens and shrubbery for anything that isn’t yours and if you think it might be relevant to our investigation, no matter how small, please contact us on 101. We are still looking for a murder weapon.”