IT was almost 12.30am when James 'Jimmy' Adams finished his shift as a glass collector at the New Beehive pub on Tuesday, May 26, 1981.

He turned down an offer from his colleagues to a late meal, said his goodbyes and headed for home instead.

But the 46-year-old would never make it.

Instead of walking directly to his flat in Heaton Road, Manningham, Mr Adams, who was a former Telegraph & Argus vendor, stopped at a block of public toilets at the junction of Carlisle Road and Bavaria Place.

Eyewitnesses spotted another man follow him into the darkness and moments later heard the glass collector's terrified cries.

He stumbled out into the street and collapsed as the knifeman walked out behind him, still holding the Bowie knife used to stab his victim 22 times.

He died in an ambulance from multiple stab wounds before reaching Bradford Royal Infirmary less than a mile away.

Brave onlookers chased the killer and one even managed to grab hold of him at the nearby Marlborough service station, but he slipped away.

Detectives said Jimmy had no enemies and were initially optimistic they would quickly find the killer.

Not only had the murderer dumped his knife in a drain 500 yards away, he had also left a mile-long trail of his own blood.

Three men also came face to face with the "short-sighted" killer just seconds after the frenzied attack.

They later told detectives he looked like the American country singer John Denver - and wore distinctive thick "bottle bottom" glasses.

At the time, police said they believed the suspects eyesight was so poor that without glasses "he would not be able to pick up a pint in a pub."

He was between 25 and 30-years-old, of medium build, with blond, collar length hair and between 5ft 5ins and 5ft 9ins tall.

Detectives re-opened the case 22-years after the murder, in 2003, when new DNA evidence was uncovered.

Advances in technology had allowed police to build up a profile using material recovered by their predecessors.

Detective Superintendent Phil Sedgwick, who was in charge of the re-opened case, said Mr Adams could have gone into the toilets to meet the person who killed him, and urged anyone who may have been harbouring information to come forward.

A Force spokesman said: "West Yorkshire Police has a dedicated team of detectives who carry out reviews of these investigations in line with new evidence coming to light or advances in forensic technology.

"If you have information which may assist, then please contact the Major Investigation Review Team on 101 or by using the contact options on the West Yorkshire Police website.

"Information can also be reported anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111."