A CAMPAIGNER raised fresh hopes of clearing a Huddersfield man’s name – 60 years to the day after he was executed for murdering two policemen.

There are also new suggestions that Alfred Moore was unlucky not to have been spared the gallows on the same day as King George VI was found dead on February 6, 1952.

Police suspected Moore was a prolific burglar of mills.

On the night of July 14, 1951, 10 officers surrounded his farmhouse at Cockley Hill, hoping to catch him returning home with his haul.

Two officers were shot while trying to arrest a man as he approached the house.

Det Insp Duncan Fraser, 45, died at the scene and Pc Gordon Jagger, 42, was rushed to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

Moore was arrested at his farmhouse a few hours after the shooting – but the gun was never found. One theory is that the killer fled, leaving Moore to take the blame.

As he lay dying in his hospital bed, Pc Jagger picked out Moore from a nine-man identity parade. This evidence was crucial in securing the conviction of Moore.

Kirkheaton man Steven Lawson, who has been campaigning to clear Moore’s name, said yesterday he was aware of the theory that King George VI’s death could have spared the condemned man.

He said: “The king was found dead at 7.15am but his death wasn’t announced until 11am. Alfred Moore was hanged at 9am.

“People have mentioned to me that, when a king dies, all executions to be carried out that day are commuted to a life sentence. I don’t know if that’s the case, there’s no precedent in law.”

Mr Lawson revealed yesterday that he has made a fresh bid to clear Moore’s name, despite a major setback late last year.

The former detective persuaded the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to investigate Moore’s conviction in 2009.

But in December the CCRC announced it would not refer the case to the Court of Appeal.

Mr Lawson said yesterday he was about to launch a judicial review against the CCRC’s ruling.

“A QC has come on board to help us challenge the decision,” he said.

“He believes the CCRC were wrong in law not to refer the case to the Court of Appeal. He sent them a letter last week saying we’re going for a judicial review.

“It’s a long process, but I’ve always been confident because I know the ins and outs of the case.

“The conviction has to be judged by today’s standards and Moore wasn’t treated fairly, he didn’t get a fair shake.”