A HISTORIAN who has spent 15 years researching the murder of a 17-year-old girl in Bolton has expressed how close he feels to the victim and her family after paying his respects on the 80th anniversary of her death.

Minnie Stott was discovered strangled to death aged 17 through an archway on Parker’s Garage in Bradshawgate on November 16, 1940.

Her green scarf, which was believed to have been used in the murder, has never been found.

And another item of clothing, her blue satin cami-knickers, was never discovered too.

Minnie's killer was never found, and after first learning about the case in the 1980s in a book, historian David Hargreaves has been researching the murder in depth since 2005.

On Monday, Mr Hargreaves visited Minnie's resting place at Heaton Cemetery and laid flowers there.

He said: "It is like someone very close has gone.

"It makes it very personal.

"I have got to know Minnie's family through research for years and visited the places where they lived.

"I have tried to trace Minnie's family but nobody has come forward."

Minnie left her family home on Clarence Street at around 7.45pm on the night she died, telling her dad she was going to a cinema.

The well known greengrocer manageress then went to the UCP cafe on Deansgate where her mum worked before leaving shortly after.

There was also a reported sighting of Minnie in a sweet shop on Bridge Street at around 8.15pm.

Despite there being no further evidence of her movements that night, Mr Hargreaves will carry on his research in the hope of finding more information.

He added: "It is very difficult in thinking where else there is to go.

"There might have been one or two reports that have been missed though.

"It is surprising what comes up and I will never give up researching.

"There are probably more answers, it is just finding them."

Mr Hargreaves has also said that coroner files and police records have been lost since Minnie's death.

Greater Manchester Police closed the case eight years ago after it was determined that that there was "no real prospect" of the offender being identified "due to the passage of time".