Hunt on for gold chain and phone used by murdered family man

A mobile phone also used by Simon Holdsworth, 36, has not been located and officers believe he would have had the items on him at the time of his death.

Temporary Detective Superintendent Phil Etheridge, who is leading the investigation, said: “We have been carrying out extensive and detailed enquiries in the weeks since Mr Holdsworth’s body was found. He was known to wear a gold chain and use a black Nokia 201 phone and would have had these items on him the night he died.

“We are keeping an open mind as to how the phone and chain came to be missing and would appeal to anyone who believes they have seen either item, or knows where they are, to call police immediately.”

The body of Mr Holdsworth, who was working extra hours to pay for his honeymoon and Christmas presents for his step-son, was discovered in a field off Birley Spa Lane, in Hackenthorpe, at 6.30am on December 17. Enquiries to trace his movements have established that the night before Mr Holdsworth finished work at FBS Prestige in Intake, where he worked as a sprayer, at 10.55pm.

A colleague gave him a lift from their workplace to a bus stop in Mansfield Road, close to the Noah’s Ark pub, where he got on the number 120 First bus shortly after 11pm. He got off the bus at his usual stop, in Birley Spa Lane, around 10 minutes later.

Witnesses should call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.