Alan Holmes died in January 1996

ALAN Holmes died a horrible death and the person or people responsible were never brought to a courtroom dock.

It’s an aching story which risks being forgotten to the mists of time, a horrific injustice which leaves an unhealed scar.

This is why every year, the New Journal honours a pledge of nearly 30 years standing to publish his photograph and asks readers once more to cast their minds back to Christmas 1995 to see if any clue can break free.

Even though he had worked as a police mechanic at the Holmes Road police station in Kentish Town, Scotland Yard has long stopped releasing an annual appeal as a matter of course, or renewing the £25,000 reward for information as each Christmas passes.

The details are almost too grim to repeat but Mr Holmes died after being tied face down to his bed through the festive period, effectively dying of dehydration as the celebrations went on elsewhere all around in Camden Town.

His killer had broken into his flat in Parkway on Boxing Day and demanded money, tying him up and torturing him for his bank card codes.

Mr Holmes, who was 53, was the last tenant in a block which has since been demolished so nobody could hear his cries for help.

His tormentor escaped with around £1,000 from Mr Holmes’ account but did not return to release him from his binds. It took nine days for him to be found, as concern was raised when he did not return to work after Christmas, as expected on January 4, 1996.

He was still breathing and was taken to University College Hospital, where, with great difficulty, he gave a an account of what happened.

But the damage had been done. The tight restraints and his inability to hardly move had led to a blood clot. He was also suffering from dehydration and he died the next day.

Every reporter in the country seemed to descend on Camden Town and there were solemn vows from detectives that there would be no hiding place for those behind such a callous killing. The media moved onto the next story and the police arrested five people but never charged anybody with murder.

The best description of two suspects said they were two men in their 20s – who would now be in their 50s or 60s and out there somewhere feeling like they have got away with murder.

Older cases than this, however, have been solved before and police will never turned down a new lead. Maybe this will be the year that somebody will pick up the phone and give the cold case team a call.