A £50,000 reward is being offered for information about the murder of a father who was killed five years ago.

The body of Craig Wilcox, 28, was recovered from Dovestone Reservoir in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester, on 24 February 2014 - 10 miles away from where he had last been seen alive 18 days earlier.

Before Mr Wilcox disappeared, he had confided in a friend that he feared for his safety.

His parents Carolyn and Stephen believe there is "close circle of people who know what's happened" but have never spoken to the police.

Speaking about his son, Mr Wilcox said: "They have kept the information to themselves from five years ago and hopefully this might just unlock somebody's conscience."


Mr Wilcox, from Failsworth, was last seen alive at his parents' home on 6 January 2014.

Police believe Mr Wilcox travelled towards Oldham town centre that evening and arrived in the Dovestone area at about 10.10pm.

The result of the post-mortem examination was inconclusive.

His parents spoke about the difficulty of seeing their grandson, now 11, grow up without a father.

Mr Wilcox said: "There isn't a day goes by that we don't think about Craig. It's very hard when you get all the milestones - Christmas, birthdays.

"It's hard for his sister as well, it's hard for his brother, it's hard for his son.

"His son's birthday, what do we tell him? He will never see his dad again."

Detective chief inspector Terry Crompton said: "It is now five years since Craig's body was found and his parents continue to endure the agony of not knowing how he came to die.

"While the post-mortem examination didn't give us clear answers, we sadly believe there is someone out there responsible for his death.

"We are committed to finding his family the answers they deserve and hope, with the life-changing £50,000, we'll get information leading to the conviction of those responsible for his death."