Mum Of A Baby Found Dead In Richmond Is Found

5 December 2014, 06:12 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The mother of a baby girl found dead in a bin in Richmond has been identified and is receiving medical treatment.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police had been searching for the woman since the newborn was discovered by a member of the public in a communal waste area on Whitcliffe Grange, Richmond, North Yorkshire, on Tuesday.

A post mortem examination conducted suggests the baby was stillborn.

Police are still trying to establish the full circumstances of the incident.

 Inspector Mark Gee, of Richmond Safer Neighbourhood Team, said:
"We thank the local community and the media for their continued support and sensitivity regarding this tragic case.

We ask residents to remain patient and calm while the police enquires continue. In particular, please avoid any unhelpful or harmful speculation on social networking sites.

To provide further reassurance for residents, extra police patrols are being carried out in the local area.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1, and pass the details to the Force Control Room. Please quote reference number 12140207822."


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UPDATED Tuesday 2nd December 2014 - 7pm

A senior midwife urged the mother of a new born baby who was found dead in a wheelie bin to come forward so she can be re-united with her daughter.

The unidentified infant was found by a member of the public yesterday in Richmond, North Yorkshire, in a communal area of a small housing estate on the outskirts of the historic market town.

Police have conducted a finger-tip search through rubbish in an effort to find evidence to help them trace the mother who may urgently need medical care, as well as support for the trauma she will have been through.

The baby has been taken to the mortuary of Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Ann Holt, head of midwifery at the hospital, said:
"Our message is for mum to come forward for the serious medical complications that might occur following this kind of delivery, like bleeding and infection, but also from the point of view that we have a baby here without her mum.

We would like to reunite the mum with her baby in our hospital.''

She urged anyone in the mother's family to think about the health risks that she might face if she did not receive medical care.

And the senior midwife added:
"The mother may be feeling that she is on her own and things are really bad, but the midwives have dealt with this sort of situation before, aren't going to be judgmental and are really concerned about her health, both physical and mental.

We don't know the circumstances around this individual mother but in my experience it tends to be younger mothers, but we don't know that for definite.

Sometimes it is not that the person is bad, it's that they are very frightened and afraid and don't know where to go for help and it's in a panic that these things happen.

Then they have to live with it, so we are urging her to come forward so she can come to terms with the traumatic experience that she has been through.''

There was a strong presence from North Yorkshire Police at Whitcliffe Grange, a cul-de-sac off the main road west out of Richmond, where the grim discovery was made.

Officers in overalls, masks and wearing plastic gloves had the unpleasant task of sifting through refuse, including nappies, for any clues.

Paramedics had been called to the housing development's communal waste area, but they were unable to revive the girl who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Inspector Mark Gee had previously urged the mother to come forward and said her health and well being was the priority.

Mr Gee was unable to say yet whether the baby was full-term when she was delivered and said he was keeping an ``open mind'' about the age of the mother.
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Updated  Tuesday 2nd December 2014 - 4pm

The body of a new born baby girl has been found in a wheelie bin in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

A member of the public rang the police after discovering the infant at around 2.40pm today.

Paramedics attended the communal waste area on Whitcliffe Grange, but were unable to revive the girl who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The police have issued an urgent appeal to try and locate the mother, who they say is likely to be in a very distressed condition.

Inspector Mark Gee, North Yorkshire Police, said:
"Inquiries are at a very early stage and our primary concern is to locate the mother of the new born baby girl to ensure that she receives urgent medical care.

It is highly likely that the mother is in a very distressed state and needs professional support.

We urge her to contact the police or medical staff as a matter of urgency as her health and wellbeing is the priority.''