Police have issued an update after a newborn baby was discovered dead outside a church in west London yesterday afternoon.
They confirmed that the baby was found in a black M&S bag outside All Saints' Church along Talbot Road in Notting Hill.
The boy was tragically declared dead at the scene after officers were called at 12.46pm on Tuesday.
While he provided an update this morning, superintendent Owen Renowden said the case was "shocking and tragic".
He explained that officers had worked through the night and had continued working on the case to locate the newborn's mother.
The update added that the baby was discovered in a black Marks and Spencer's bag "with pictures of avocados on the side" by a council refuse worker who immediately contacted police.
The superintendent said: "Officers attended alongside colleagues from the London Ambulance Service but, very sadly, the baby was pronounced dead at the scene.
"I want to praise the professionalism in particular of the local refuse worker and also the responding emergency services who I know will have been deeply affected by this incident yesterday," he added.
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The official also said that the force was "really worried" about the welfare of the mother since she would have "recently given birth".
Renowden said Scotland Yard's priority is to locate the baby's mother, whom authorities believe might require immediate medical attention.
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."
He said that she could find assistance at any time by going to a hospital, police station or ringing emergency services.
Now, officers were working to establish the circumstances around the situation at hand, after the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the incident yesterday.
Currently, officers are appealing directly to anyone who might have relevant information.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference CAD 3431/25March.
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They confirmed that the baby was found in a black M&S bag outside All Saints' Church along Talbot Road in Notting Hill.
The boy was tragically declared dead at the scene after officers were called at 12.46pm on Tuesday.
While he provided an update this morning, superintendent Owen Renowden said the case was "shocking and tragic".
He explained that officers had worked through the night and had continued working on the case to locate the newborn's mother.
The update added that the baby was discovered in a black Marks and Spencer's bag "with pictures of avocados on the side" by a council refuse worker who immediately contacted police.
The superintendent said: "Officers attended alongside colleagues from the London Ambulance Service but, very sadly, the baby was pronounced dead at the scene.
"I want to praise the professionalism in particular of the local refuse worker and also the responding emergency services who I know will have been deeply affected by this incident yesterday," he added.
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The official also said that the force was "really worried" about the welfare of the mother since she would have "recently given birth".
Renowden said Scotland Yard's priority is to locate the baby's mother, whom authorities believe might require immediate medical attention.
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."
He said that she could find assistance at any time by going to a hospital, police station or ringing emergency services.
Now, officers were working to establish the circumstances around the situation at hand, after the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the incident yesterday.
Currently, officers are appealing directly to anyone who might have relevant information.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference CAD 3431/25March.
Find Out More...