Peter’s role in strangler murder

FORMER Oldham Chronicle reporter Peter Phelps at the scene of the 1976 murder of Sharon Mosoph

A FORMER Oldham Chronicle journalist has described how he reported the grisly murder of a young woman by a serial killer nicknamed “the Failsworth strangler” as part of a new TV series.

Peter Phelps covered the murder of 17-year-old Sharon Mosoph, whose body was found in the Rochdale Canal in Failsworth in March 1976 - only 300 yards from her home in Brooks Drive.

Trevor Hardy, also known as “the Beast of Manchester”, was convicted of her murder and that of two other teenage girls. He was given three life sentences in 1977 and died of a heart attack at Wakefield Prison at the age of 67 in 2012, while the documentary was being filmed.

The second series of “When Life Means Life” is continuing to look at prisoners in the UK who have spent the rest of their life in jail.

An episode examining Hardy’s crimes features the interview with the former Chronicle journalist, who describes his role as a reporter on the case, from the discovery of the body through to the court case.

The show also features interviews with the relatives of victims and Hardy’s brother Colin, who recounts living in fear and bringing his brother to justice.

“When Life Means Life” is on the Crime & Investigation Network on Monday, 9pm.