On Sunday, October 5, 1975, April Molseed was making her way through a list of chores in her home on Delamere Road in Rochdale, a town at the foothills of the moor countryside in Northern England. As she prepared supper that day around noon, April realised she didn’t have any bread, so she decided to send her daughter Lesley to the nearby corner store.

April harboured no sense of concern allowing Lesley to take the short walk to the shops alone that Sunday afternoon. The local community was self-contained and close-knit. Local families had come to know each other well over the years. Their children attended the same schools, youth clubs, and sporting activities. Neighbours were friendly and familiar. Local pubs, shops, and parties were full of recognisable faces. Nobody was a stranger.

It was around 12:30 pm when Lesley headed out the front door of her family home on Delamere Road. April told her to return home quickly. Lesley replied that she would be back soon…