Police have renewed an appeal to trace the mother of a newborn baby girl whose body was discovered at a Suffolk recycling centre four weeks ago.
Chief Superintendent Tonya Antonis made a direct appeal for the mother to come forward and asked for information from anyone who saw anything unusual in the area of 52 waste pick-up sites before the discovery.
Officers were called shortly after 3pm on May 14 to Sackers recycling centre in Ipswich Road, Needham Market, following the discovery of a baby girl’s body.
Police believe the body was transported in one of two waste collection vehicles that collected commercial waste throughout the day from 52 different locations.
More: Police focus on 52 waste collection sites in baby death inquiry
Officers have visited more than 830 residential addresses and businesses near collection sites, while continuing to review CCTV footage from areas nearby.
Posters will be displayed near the 52 commercial waste pick-up locations to encourage anyone with information to get in touch.
Ch Supt Antonis said detectives believe the public’s help will be vital in identifying the baby girl, adding: “It has been four weeks since the tragic discovery of the body of a newborn baby girl, who we believe was placed into a commercial waste bin between May 13 and 14.
“We know the waste would have been collected from one of 52 sites – but locating the mother has been a real challenge.
“I can’t imagine what she must have been going through, physically and emotionally.
“I’m appealing for her to come forward, and also urging anyone who knows her, or has concerns about someone who was pregnant but has not been seen since that time, to also come forward.
“Our priorities are identifying the baby and tracing the mother.
“I understand some people will be horrified and wonder how anyone could do such a thing, but we don’t know what was happening and I’d urge people to keep an open mind. Until we locate the mother, we just don’t know.”
Further tests will be required to determine the baby’s cause of death after a postmortem examination proved inconclusive.
More: Post-mortem of newborn baby girl whose body was found at recycling centre inconclusive
A number of items found during Sackers’ search of the site, which concluded on June 3, are subject to ongoing analysis.
Information can be provided in a number of ways – by using the online portal, calling 101 and quoting reference 37/26499/20, via the Suffolk police website, or contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here