Baby discovered useless in M&S bag close to Notting Hill church see lady arrested
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of concealing a birth, neglect and infanticide after her newborn baby boy was found dead inside a Marks & Spencer bag outside a church in west London, the Metropolitan Police said.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Over the past week, Met detectives, alongside partners from the NHS and local councils, have been conducting enquiries following the discovery of a deceased baby boy in Notting Hill. The baby was sadly found inside a bag near All Saints Church.
“Officers have expressed their thanks to members of the local community, who have offered their support to the local police teams as the investigation has progressed.
“Following an appeal by officers, on Saturday, 29 March, a woman, aged in her 30s, was safely located and arrested on suspicion of concealing a birth, neglect and infanticide. In a case of this nature this is necessary to enable officers to continue with their enquiries and understand more about the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death.
“The woman was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and to ensure all necessary medical care was provided to her.
“She remains in hospital currently.”
They added: “A forensic post-mortem will take place later this week, which will help officers understand more about the baby boy’s death. However at this time, officers remain open-minded about the circumstances.”
Superintendent Owen Renowden, who leads policing for Kensington and Chelsea said: “This is an ongoing, fast-paced investigation, with officers working tirelessly to ascertain the circumstances of the baby boy’s death.
“We believe that the woman is the baby’s mother and I am reassured that she is receiving the support she needs, while officers continue their work to understand what took place.
“I recognise that the news of this arrest may cause concern among our community, but when dealing with investigations of this nature our priority is to ensure the welfare of all involved and ensure that all lines of enquiry are fully explored.
“I appreciate the high level of attention that this investigation has received, but we politely ask for the public not to speculate.
“Although this is a significant development, we are still appealing for anyone with any information to contact police on 101 or at @MetCC quoting CAD1879 of 26 March.”
This is a breaking news story and is being constantly updated. Please refresh the page regularly with the latest news, pictures and videos.
You can also get email updates on the day’s biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters.
Get all the very best headlines, pictures, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following Daily Star every time you see our name.
Follow Daily Star on Android – CLICK HERE
Follow Daily Star on Apple – CLICK HERE
Follow Daily Star on Snapchat – CLICK HERE
You can also sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news by following @starbreaksnews
and follow us @dailystar for all the latest updates.
Keep up-to-date with your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/thedailystar .
