Police have appealed for the mother of a baby girl who was found dead at a waste recycling centre to come forward as they are concerned for their well-being.
The unidentified infant, known only as Baby S, was found by a member of staff at the facility in Needham Market, Suffolk, on 14 May. An inquest has been opened and adjourned into her death.
Police and paramedics were called to Sackers waste recycling centre in Ipswich Road, Needham Market, just after 3pm on 14 May, an inquest hearing on Friday heard.
It is believed the baby was taken to the recycling centre via a bin lorry that collected refuse from the surrounding areas, reported the BBC.
Rebecca Rawling, assistant principal coroner’s officer, read from a report prepared by Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Karl Nightingale, of Suffolk Police.
“The presence of a deceased baby was confirmed, with death being recognised at 3.20pm that day. Baby S is a girl, her date of birth remains unknown but her appearance is that of a newborn,” she said.
“No further details are known regarding the identity of her or her family.”
A post-mortem examination gave her provisional medical cause of death as “undetermined”, with further tests required.
Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Bridger said that police “reasonably suspect that the baby was less than 48 hours old”.
He said the current priority is to ensure the mother of the baby “receives the care and assistance she requires” and urged her to come forward.
“We understand that this would have been a very distressing experience for the mother of this baby,” said Mr Bridger
“There is no doubt that she may be frightened but it is very important that we reach her or we speak to someone who might know her.
“We believe the baby was born very recently so the mother may require medical assistance and we would urge her to speak to a healthcare professional or to attend a hospital.”
A spokeswoman for Sackers said they believe the baby was “found very quickly” once it reached the Needham Market site and added that the company was supporting the staff who found the child’s body and assisting Suffolk Police with the investigations.
Additional reporting by agencies
