Police have appealed for the parents of a dead baby to get in touch after a dog walker discovered its remains in a snow-covered field today.
Officers with Greater Manchester Constabulary delivered the statement in a press conference held following the tragic discovery in Little Hulton, Salford, at around 1.30pm. Ambulance crews also dashed to the scene but the infant was declared dead by paramedics.
Leading the press briefing, Chief Superintendent and District Commander for Salford, Neil Blackwood, said a post-mortem is expected to take place in the coming days, but officers are so far unable to confirm the tot’s gender or ethnicity and have designated it Baby A.
He reassured the surrounding community in the suburb, which is in Salford's west, but one woman said she "felt sick" when she heard about the discovery. She said the area "is not safe".
Greater Manchester Police's statement in full
Chief Supt Blackwood, of Greater Manchester Police, said in full: "Tragically today we found the remains of what we believe to be a young baby. We have a scene in place and you will likely see an increase in the number of officers in the local area while we carry out enquiries. To understand the circumstances.
“At this stage we are following several lines of enquiry and working with partner agencies to understand who this baby could be, how long they’ve been here and how they have sadly died. We are now calling this baby, Baby A. All of this is extremely sensitive and this investigation needs to be handled with upmost care it deserves and it will take time.
“We know this news will devastate communities and while we do not have all the answers yet I want to reassure residents 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 urge anyone with any information at all to get in touch with us. Even the most minor detail could be crucial to our investigation.
“If you’ve seen anyone in the area over the past few days or know who the parents could be please call us as soon as you can. As soon as we are in a position to confirm further details about the circumstances, we will do so.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote log 1319. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.