A baby found dead at the side of the road by a dog walker in Manchester was ‘covered in snow’, it has been reported.
Police are desperately working to identify the infant they have called ‘Baby A’ and determine how long the remains had been there.
The gruesome discovery was made by a member of the public on Ravenscraig Road near Ashtons Field in Salford at about 1pm on Wednesday.
The baby’s age, gender and ethnicity are all currently unknown and police have appealed to their family to come forward.
The Mirror has reported the baby was found ‘covered in snow’ with pictures from the scene showing the ground covered in a blanket of ice.
Speaking near the spot where the child was found, Greater Manchester Police chief superintendent Neil Blackwood said a cordon would remain in place while officers carried out inquiries.
‘At this stage, we are following several lines of inquiry, and we are working with local partner agencies to understand who this baby could be, how long they have been here, and how they have sadly died,’ he said.
‘We are now calling this baby, Baby A.’
Police work at the scene on Ravenscraig Road near Ashtons Field, Salford, in Greater Manchester
Police and forensic teams attend a scene at Ashton’s Field in Greater Manchester
Chief Superintendent Neil Blackwood district commander for Salford reads a statement to the media at the scene on Ravenscraig Road
Enquiries are ongoing and residents have been told to expect an increased police presence in the area.
Officers have sealed off the entrance to the nearby Ashtons Field, near to a bridge over the M61.
A forensic tent has also been set up with forensic officers carrying out investigations at the scene.
Chf Supt Blackwood added: ‘We know that this news will devastate our communities, and while we do not have all the answers to these questions yet, I want to reassure residents that we will do all we can to find out what has happened here.
‘The most important thing for us right now is to find answers for this baby and I would urge anyone who has any information at all to get in touch with us. Even the most minor detail could be crucial to our investigation.’
North West Ambulance Service declined to comment.
Police work at the scene on Ravenscraig Road near Ashtons Field, Salford
Flowers left at the scene on Ravenscraig Road near Ashtons Field, Salford, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Police confirmed the tragic remains on Ravenscraig Road, in Little Hutton, to the north west of the city