Body Of Dead ​Baby Found In Field In Greater Manchester

A chilling image shows the moment police had to carry a moses basket across a field in Greater Manchester to recover the body of a deceased baby, who was found earlier today in a woodland area in Heywood.

The child is thought to be a newborn baby, officers have said.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "At around 7.10am on Wednesday April 4, 2018, police were called to a field near George Street in Heywood, to reports that the body of a baby had been found.

"Officers attended and discovered the body of what is believed to be a newborn baby.

"A scene is in place while police enquiries continue."

According to the Manchester Evening News, a police cordon was put in place around a woodland area, and remained in place for several hours as forensics teams, sniffer dogs and officers carried out their work at the scene.

MEN

Detectives have also been carrying out door-to-door enquiries around Peel Lane and George Street.

One local resident told the MEN: "When I found it was a little baby, I thought it was awful. It knocked me sick."

Another person, who described the area as a tight-knit community, said that everyone is 'really shocked' by the news.

The BBC reports that Millie Crosdale and Jess Hawkins, both 18 and live locally, laid flowers by the police cordon.

"It is heartbreaking really, all you can do is come and pay your respects," Crosdale said.

Hawkins added: "This is where we all come down in the summer and it's nice, when it's snowing you bring your kids down with the sleds.

"You wouldn't think something like that would happen here."

A spokesman for the North West Ambulance Service has also confirmed that they were called to the scene at 7.10am, and sent an ambulance and rapid response vehicle. However, no one was taken to hospital.

At 2.40pm the MEN reported: "Our photographer has sent this incredibly sad picture from Heywood. Police are going to the scene with a basket. Heartbreaking."

The MEN has since said that the police cordon has now been removed from the scene, and that flowers have already been left at the base of a tree nearby.

A public appeal for information about the incident has now opened.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident number 368 of April 4, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Topics: UK News, News, Greater Manchester

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman