Top Lancashire murder detective-turned-county councillor Graham Gooch dies, aged 76

A former high-ranking Lancashire detective who led investigations into some of the county’s most serious crimes of the 1990s – and then went on to have two further careers in academia and politics – has died.

Tributes have been paid to Longton resident Graham Gooch who passed away on Sunday, at the age of 76, after suffering from cancer for the past two years.

The Conservative politician has been remembered as a man of “intellect and humour” and “a good human being” by political friends and foes in the county.

He represented the South Ribble West/Rural West division on Lancashire County Council for 12 years until stepping down ahead of the local elections in 2025. From 2017 until his retirement, he was the authority’s cabinet member for adult services, responsible for delivering social care for vulnerable and elderly people – including at the height of the Covid pandemic.

However, his most high-profile role – during a remarkable working life that crammed three careers into almost 60 years – came during his time at Lancashire Police, where he reached the rank of Detective Chief Superintendent.

The Essex-born cop arrived in the county with 20 years’ service already under his belt at the Metropolitan Police – having started out with a brief stint prior to that in the RAF. He rose to become a Detective Chief Inspector in the Met and was part of the force’s joint serious fraud investigation team with City of London Police.

With a further promotion – initially to Detective Superintendent – came the move to Lancashire, where he was placed in charge of divisional CID at Blackpool.

Over the decade that followed, he headed dozens of murder inquiries across the county, many of the most notable being on the Fylde coast and in Central Lancashire. He brought to justice the killers of traveller Walter ‘Yogi’ Smith, along with pier stallholder Paul Kendal, whose body was thrown from the M55 into the Lancaster Canal.

Det Chief Supt Gooch also secured the conviction of the man who murdered hotel worker Mark White, who suffered 80 separate injuries during an attack on the beach as he walked home.

In 1996, he led the inquiry into a murder that shocked the county – and the country – that of 20-year-old student Janet Murgatroyd, whose body was found in the River Ribble at Penwortham after she had been on night out. The case saw him front a BBC Crimewatch appeal.

A man was convicted of her manslaughter in 2003, but the conviction was later quashed on appeal – and the case remains unsolved.

By the time he ended his policing career, Det Chief Supt Gooch had also been involved at the outset of the cold case hunt for the killer of Joan Harrison, a 26-year-old who was found dead in a derelict garage in Preston in 1975 – and whose killing was, at one time, linked to the Yorkshire Ripper and then to the hoaxer who pretended to be him, dubbed ‘Wearside Jack’. It was later found that neither was ultimately involved and, in 2011, DNA linked the murder to a man who had died three years earlier.

Upon his retirement from the force in 2001, Det Chief Supt Gooch said: “The quality of life here [in Lancashire] is far better than in London. I have thoroughly enjoyed my service here.”

Without missing a beat, he next embarked upon the fresh challenge of becoming a lecturer on a new policing and criminal investigation degree course, which he himself created and then led for the next 10 years.

That took him to a second supposed ‘retirement’ in 2011 – but, instead, his attention swiftly turned to politics. Having already become chair of Longton Parish Council, he was later elected to County Hall in 2013 as part of the then Tory opposition, serving on various committees.

His eight-year stint as cabinet member for adult services began when his party took control of the county council in 2017. During his tenure, he had to deal with the trauma and terror that ripped through the social care sector with the onset of Covid in 2020.

He also oversaw the development of a strategy to create new ‘extra care’ facilities across the county – which provide individuals with the necessary level support within a complex of independent residences.

He was a champion of ensuring the elderly did not lose their independence prematurely or, in the case of younger people with special needs, fail to get the chance ever to gain it.

Former Lancashire County Council leader Phillippa Williamson, who was at the helm from 2021 until 2025, said of her one-time colleague: “Graham was a brilliant county councillor and wonderful, loyal friend.

“He was tireless in his support of those he represented and dedicated to improving adult social care across Lancashire as cabinet member for adults services.

“Working alongside Graham was an absolute joy. We will miss his kindness and empathy, his intellect and his wonderful mischievous sense of humour.’

The then County Cllr Gooch became renowned for his thorough presentations to cabinet meetings, which were often several times the length of those delivered by his fellow portfolio-holders.

Azhar Ali – at the time the leader of the Labour opposition group, but now leading the Progressive Lancashire opposition alliance at County Hall – said that trait may well have been a function of his background.

“That was possibly the academic and the detective in him – everything had to be evidence- based and written down.

“But he was very rigorous in his approach to being a cabinet member – and I always found him to be a good human being, who was very focused and tried to do his best for his division and the county. He will be missed,” County Cllr Ali added.

Former senior Lancashire Constabulary officer David R Smith - who now chairs the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime - recalls an intervention Graham Gooch made during delicate discussions with the BBC amid a tricky investigation.

“One Saturday morning, I was duty Assistant Chief Constable, when the Inspector in the Force Control Room rang to say that some fruit had been found in a local supermarket which appeared to have been tampered with - and affixed to it was a ransom note demanding a large sum of money, with the threat that further instances would occur with poison being injected into produce elsewhere.

“I went into HQ and met with Graham Gooch, the senior detective who was on call that weekend. At this time, the National Lottery Draw was broadcast on BBC TV each Saturday evening, and a character called ‘Mystic Meg’ would look at her crystal ball and pronounce some generalised prediction.

“The ransom note demanded that Mystic Meg, on that evening’s show, would use a particular form of words - after which further instructions would be given to us.

“I telephoned the senior duty officer at the BBC who had the authority to respond to requests from senior police officers. Graham Gooch joined the conversation.

“I explained what was happening - and that there was a serious risk to the public if contaminated products had been left at other supermarkets - and asked the BBC official if they could co-operate. He was adamant that they could not, or would not help. He said it would be unprecedented for the BBC to make covert announcements in this way.

“At this point Graham Gooch joined in by saying that this was quite wrong because there were many times that the BBC had done this over the years. On being asked for an example, Graham asked him to consider how, every night during the Second World War, the BBC had transmitted to the SOE or to the French Resistance, covert messages such as ‘The white rabbit is hopping tonight’.

“The BBC employee advised that he would speak to one of his bosses and get back to us. In the meantime, news came through of a spectacular arrest based on brilliant police intuition and investigation. As I recall a fingerprint had been found on the ransom note. I smile about that incident every time I watch ‘Allo ‘Allo on TV.”

In a statement on Facebook on Friday (30th October), Graham Gooch’s son, Simon, said: “It’s with great sadness I announce the passing of my dad, former Longton Parish and county councillor, Longton County Primary governor and Lancashire Constabulary officer, Graham Gooch, who died peacefully on Sunday morning following a two year battle with bowel cancer.

“Dad was a big advocate for Longton and the surrounding area and for those who lived here – and it is rather apt that his final role as councillor was to push for the removal of the barrier between Longton Health Centre and Church Row Chambers.”

Graham Gooch leaves behind his wife, Susan, and three children and three grandchildren.

His funeral will take place at St Andrew’s Church in Longton at 11am on 17th November. Family flowers only are requested and donations to St Catherine’s Hospice via Muchloved.

Additional reporting as part of a collaboration with Blog Preston.