On 10th October 1977, he and a friend discovered the body of murdered
prostitute Jean Jordan, a victim of the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, in
allotments near Princess Road, Manchester.
He was the oldest of six children born to a steel erector father, Bruce
and his factory worker wife Irene. He grew up in Collyhurst and left
school at sixteen. During his school time he appeared in school plays
beginning with a part as the wise man in the school nativity play at
the age of 5.