Massive hunt launched for two murder suspects

Detectives launched a massive search operation today for two men wanted separately over the murders of a young hairdresser and a former miner, committed within a few miles of each other.

Terry Rodgers, 55, disappeared after allegedly shooting his newlywed daughter, Chanel Taylor, at her home in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, weeks after giving her away at the wedding.

Robert Boyer, 42, went into hiding after Keith Frogson was attacked and killed outside his home in Annersley Woodhouse following a suspected row over the miners strike of 20 years ago.

The two murders were carried out within two weeks of each other and both suspects were last spotted in the local area.

Police search teams and sniffer dogs were combing two and a half square kilometres of Annersley Woods this morning in the largest operation of its kind carried out in Nottinghamshire.

Around 450 officers, including armed police and 30 search dogs, were fanning out across woodlands in a bid to track down the suspects.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokeswoman said: "Police officers will be conducting a search operation for two people wanted for questioning in connection with the murders of Chanel Taylor and Keith Frogson.

"Teams of officers supported by dogs will be out looking for Robert Boyer and Terry Rodgers."

The body of 23–year–old Mrs Taylor was discovered by her new husband, Lee, with gunshot wounds at the home they shared in New Street on Friday, July 30.

They had married just seven weeks earlier and her father, who had recently moved in with the couple, had given her away.

Mr Rodgers had separated from his wife, Anne, and left their home in nearby South Normanton.

He had also sold his security business and was in some financial difficulty, according to friends.

Kevin Phillips, 39, said the 55–year–old had been saved by his daughter after taking a drugs overdose in the weeks before the shooting.

Six days after the murder, detectives discovered a shotgun in the house where Mrs Taylor was killed.

Mr Frogson, 62, was found dead on his doorstep following a brutal attack as he left a local pub in the Nottinghamshire pit village where he lived on July 19.

The father of three was a well known member of the National Union of Mineworkers and had been heavily involved in the strike of 1984.

Police later named Mr Boyer, a so–called "scab" who joined the rival Union of Democratic Mineworkers as their prime suspect in the case.

It is believed a bitter feud between the pair could have led to the death of Mr Frogson, who was thought to have been killed by more than one sharp instrument.

A crossbow was later discovered near the scene of the murder on Bentinck Street.

Nottingham Police Superintendent Stuart Wright emphasised that neither the two men nor the two murder investigations were being linked.

But the suspects had gone missing within close proximity and the Annesley area was a location that needed to be searched.

He added: "This is an area that now, from the course of both inquiries, needs to be thoroughly searched. This is an appropriate time during the investigation to do that.

"This is certainly probably the biggest search with armed officers that we have ever carried out in this county.

"There are two people that we need to speak to. This is a significant search operation for us.

"We believed that it is absolutely necessary to search these areas and we are hopeful that we will find the people that we are looking for."