When our beautiful coastline was the scene of horrific killing

It was a sunny day in May 2006 when the picturesque Marsden coastline became the scene of a horrific murder.
REMEMBERED: Flowers at the Marsden Lea car park in memory of  David 'Noddy' Rice Picture: DAVID WOODREMEMBERED: Flowers at the Marsden Lea car park in memory of  David 'Noddy' Rice Picture: DAVID WOOD
REMEMBERED: Flowers at the Marsden Lea car park in memory of David 'Noddy' Rice Picture: DAVID WOOD

David ‘Noddy’ Rice had been lured to his death by Steven John Bevens, who had set up a rendezvous at Marsden Lea car park.

As walkers strolled along the cliff tops nearby, the father-of-seven was 
blasted nine times as he sat in his car.

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Police believe the man who fired the fateful bullets was Mr Rice’s good friend Allan James Foster.

During a court case into the murder, it was revealed Bevens had driven Foster to the scene of the shooting then drove him away when he was certain he was dead.

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Mr Rice and Bevens had both worked for Foster, a notorious drugs dealer with a criminal record and a history of underworld dealings.

Mr Rice had been sitting in the car park at about 4pm, talking to a solicitor as he awaited Beven’s arrival.

After being shot at by a semi-automatic handgun fitted with a silencer, Mr Rice tried to escape through the passenger side door of his Peugeot.

But the gunman got out and walked around the back of the car and shot him again, and then at point-blank range.

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The Mondeo was driven to nearby Lizard Lane, where it was abandoned and set on fire.

The killers then transferred to an orange van and fled.

Foster is believed to have left the country the day after the shooting and 10 years on still remains on the run.

The killing led to a number of arrests as police probed the dealings of Foster, as well as a corrupt police officer who helped Foster to remain one step ahead of the law after the pair had become known to each other after Foster turned police informer following an arrest for importing cannabis worth £1million in 2003.