Baby found dead at scrapyard 'not forgotten'

A headstone for the baby's grave was funded by the scrapyard where her body was discovered

A police force has said the baby who was discovered dead at a recycling centre four years ago "has not been forgotten".

The body of an unidentified girl known as Baby S was found at Sackers facility in Needham Market, Suffolk on 14 May 2020.

It was thought she was less than 24 hours old and an inquest in 2022 found she died from a traumatic brain injury.

Suffolk Police said the investigation into her death "remains ongoing".

It was thought the baby had been born alive and her body was taken to the recycling centre during a refuse collection

A force spokesperson said the investigation "includes DNA work to try and locate any potential relatives of Baby S".

"Other inquiries continue as part of an ongoing review process," they said.

"Whilst it is four years since the discovery of Baby S, she has not been forgotten and we are still seeking any information that may assist us in identifying the parents of Baby S."

Anyone with any information is still asked to contact the force.

A funeral service for Baby S was held in 2022

In 2020, during the first Covid-19 lockdown, the baby was found on a conveyor belt at the scrap and recycling facility.

It was recorded at the time that the baby was dark-skinned, possibly of African descent and was born full-term with no evidence of underlying disease.

During the 2022 inquest, Det Ch Insp Karl Nightingale said the pathologist's evidence could not say if Baby S was alive when she was put into the bin prior to being taken to the centre.

However the inquest heard her death was not a result of the waste process.

Coroner Nigel Parsley said the cause of her injuries was "unascertained" and he recorded an open conclusion.

"All we can say with any certainty is the information in relation to how Baby S was found, but really we're no closer to identifying how she got into the waste system in the first place," the coroner said.

A burial service for the girl was held in Ipswich in February 2022 before Sackers commissioned a teddy bear headstone for her grave.

The stone reads: "Baby S sleeps here. So small, so sweet, so soon, sleep little one, sleep."