Cold case: Unsolved murder of Blackpool mechanic shot dead in suspected gangland feud still open more than 20 years later

The 34-year-old had been kidnapped by from his place of work by a gang of 10 men, brutally beaten with iron bars, and dumped at the side of the M55.

It was the violent outcome of a suspected gangland feud, and Alan was lucky enough to walk away with just a few cuts and bruises.

But just eight months later, on November 12 at around 6.30pm, the motorcycle enthusiast was found collapsed outside his garage, Imperial Engineering on Back Eaves Street, with a gunshot wound to the head.

He had been shot at close range with a .45 calibre bullet shortly after the sound of men fighting had been heard in the area. He was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, and then to Royal Preston Hospital, where he died of his injuries the following day.

After the shooting, a man wearing a dark bomber jacket and a woolly hat was seen running from Egerton Road to Carshalton Road, towards Sherbourne Road, before disappearing.

A 75-strong police squad handed out artists impressions of the man - white, thin, gaunt-faced, aged between 25 and 35-years-old and standing at 6ft 2in - in the hope of tracing him following door-to-door inquiries.

An investigating officer, Det Supt Graham Gooch, said at the time: "It may be that this man has nothing to do with the murder, in which case we would urge him to come forward so we can eliminate him from the inquiry."

More than 4,000 leaflets were handed out, and a roadside checkpoint was set up, but the identity of the man remains a mystery to this day.

Investigation led to world of organised crime

During his life, Alan Rosser was no master criminal, having racked up only a few motoring offences and a minor conviction for cannabis posession.

But during their investigation, Lancashire police formed the belief that he may have become involved in low-level drug trafficking.

Supt Gooch said: "We've had a lot of information about his connections, his business dealings and his social life. We know he used to travel all over the north of England and Midlands, visiting clubs where he seemed to be well-known to the DJs and door staff in Sheffield, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Manchester."

Three found guilty of kidnapping – but killer is still at large

In December 1999, four men were tried for the kidnapping of Alan Rosser at Carlisle Crown Court, and three were convicted. Their motive for the crime was, apparently, money – £40,000 worth of equipment was stolen from Alan’s garage. Investigators believed Alan owed a considerable sum of cash, possibly to his underworld connections.

A fourth man, Jason Gillard, a known gangland boss, was found not guilty due to lack of evidence. In May 2003, he was given an eight year jail term for extortion after he was found to have blackmailed a 47-year-old garage boss into handing over £1,000, warning that he would be shot and his home burned down if he did not comply.

Following the trial, it emerged that Gilliard had possible links to not only Alan Rosser, but yet another garage owner, Roger Ormsby, who was who was shot dead at the wheel of his BMW in Moss Side in January 2000.

Ormsby, 35, was a dad of three and a known drug dealer. Like Alan, his murder has never been solved.

Mystery remains 23 years later

The latest activity in the Alan Rosser murder case dates back to March 2000, when a man was arrested in the Whitefield of Manchester and questioned, and later released without charge.

Since then, the trail has gone cold, with no further clues coming to light.

A Lancashire police spokesman said: “The case is still open but there’s no update at this time.”