Police have urged the mother of a newborn baby boy found dead inside a Marks & Spencer bag outside a church in west London to come forward.
A council refuse worker made the discovery after spotting the black bag with avocados on it by All Saints’ Church in Notting Hill at 12.46pm on Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, Superintendent Owen Renowden from the Met Police said he could now confirm the infant was a newborn boy.
Tributes have since been left at the scene on Tabot Road, where the baby was pronounced dead by paramedics.
Superintendent Renowden described the case as ‘shocking and tragic’, but said his priority remains the mother’s ‘welfare and support’.
Speaking to reporters in Notting Hill, he said: ‘I know she will likely be feeling very frightened and going through an extremely difficult time.
‘If you are the baby’s mother and you see this today, I want to appeal directly to you to come forward and receive help, my priority is to help you, to make sure that you can receive medical assistance.’
Officers were called at 12:46pm yesterday to All Saints Church on Talbot Road in the Notting Hill area where the body was found.
Metropolitan Police Superintendent Owen Renowden speaking to the media outside All Saints’ Church in Notting Hill this morning
A police tent close to where the body of a newborn baby was found today. Police are now urgently appealing for the mother to come forward for her own welfare
Tributes left outside All Saints’ Church in Notting Hill, west London, where a baby’s body was found in a bag on Tuesday
The London Ambulance Service also rushed to the scene, but tragically the baby was declared dead at the scene.
The deputy warden at All Saints’ church in Notting Hill said she had ‘never heard anything like this in my life’ after the discovery of the baby boy.
‘I came here to prepare for the food bank and I just saw loads of police arriving, and when I came out it was all taped over,’ Marcia Haynes told reporters.
Ms Haynes said when she found out a baby had died that ‘it just freaked me out, and I just I had to abandon what I was doing and go home because I thought I was going to be ill, to be honest’.
‘I’ve been here since 1966, I’ve never heard anything like this in my life.’
She said she let two female police officers into the church on Tuesday.
‘Two women officers asked me if they could come in and search the church, and I let them in, and they searched the toilets and all around the church,’ Ms Haynes said.
‘I presume they were looking for the mother in case she was hiding somewhere or something.’
A Metropolitan Police Officer close to the church where a dead newborn baby was found
A woman walks past tributes outside the church in Notting Hill where the body of a baby was found
In a statement yesterday, Superintendent Renowden said: ‘This is an extremely sad and shocking matter and officers are working hard to establish the circumstances around what has taken place.
‘This investigation is in the early stages and our immediate priority is to locate the baby’s mother, who we believe may have very recently given birth.
‘If you are the baby’s mother and are reading this, please come forward to police or medical professionals.
‘You must feel very frightened but please let us help – we are really worried about you and it is vitally important you get medical assistance and support.
‘You can walk into any hospital, or a police station.’
Anyone who may have any information about this incident should contact police on 101, quoting reference CAD 3431/25March.
