Tragic baby riddle goes on

The body of the full term baby was found wrapped in an Asda fleece in Spen Brook, Kirkham, on October 1, 2011. His family has never been found.

A huge police investigation was launched and detectives urged the boy’s mother to come forward, but without success.

Businesses in the town raised money to fund the boy’s funeral and a headstone was donated by a stonemason as the community did all they could to remember him.

But the grim discovery has continued to leave a scar on Kirkham - and residents say it will “never go away”.

Paula Gemmell, manager of Pink Tree Parties, on Poulton Street, Kirkham, said: “Most of the people in Kirkham think it’s a very sore subject and are still very upset about it.

“It is around the anniversary when people start wondering what has happened but it has gone on for so long now that most people are resigned to the fact we will never know.

“It’s sad because there’s someone out there who needs help, or needed help at the time, and we don’t know if it’s one of our own who needed support.

“It is one of the tragedies that is never going to go away in the memories of the locals, and it’s never going to be put right unless we find the mother and help her.”

In October 2011, a 35-year-old man from Barrow handed himself into a police station in Cumbria claiming to have been involved with the infant’s death but was released without charge.

An appeal on BBC1’s Crimewatch failed to produce any leads, and Coun Liz Oades, the Mayor of Kirkham, says the case is still causing upset in the community.

She said: “Time goes on but I know people still go and put things on the grave (at St Michael’s Parish Church)because it was a quite tragic thing to happen.

“ People in Kirkham were very, very upset and showed this in the way they raised funding.”

Meanwhile police are continuing to appeal for the mother of the baby boy to come forward.

Work is currently on going around DNA profiles and officers have also carried out enquires which have included searches of the area, speaking to hundreds of members of the community, and the launch of a national media campaign.

Fylde Chief Insp David Old said: “I’m sure that this little boy’s mother thinks about him, especially at this time of year, and I would renew our appeal for her to come forward and speak to us.

“This is not about turning anyone into a criminal, this is about concern for her welfare and ensuring the appropriate support is available to anyone who is connected with this very sad situation.”

People with any information can contact the police on 101.

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