Death of newborn baby in Willenhall canal treated as murder

The baby was found in a waterway in Rough Wood Country Park, in Willenhall

The death of a newborn baby found in a canal is being treated as murder, police say.

The boy was found in a waterway in Rough Wood Country Park, Willenhall, on 20 May.

A £5,000 reward has been put up by Crimestoppers for information leading to a conviction.

Mick Duthie, director of operations at the charity, said he hoped it would "prompt someone's conscience to speak up and tell us what they know".

"This is a particularly sad, tragic case and shocking for the community, so we are keen to have answers as to what happened and who was involved," he added.

"Investigators, who have asked our charity to put up this reward, believe that someone may know or suspect who the mother is."

There is also concern for the health and welfare of the baby's mother, he said.

People were stopped from entering the park while inquiries took place

Det Insp Wesley Martin said the belief was that the baby may have been alive for a couple of hours before death.

"We are treating this as a murder, because we cannot rule out an unlawful act has been responsible for the death," he said.

About 50 members of the public have come forward with information so far, some naming potential parents but the force said all have been ruled out.

A passer-by spotted the baby in the water at about 13:00 BST, prompting a major search of the canal and surrounding area.

Police later said the child could have been in the water for four days.

The discovery came less than a month after a baby, thought to be only a few hours old, was found by a dog walker in an abandoned park in Birmingham.

Speculation could hinder the investigation, police said at the time

Named George by hospital staff, he was found on 22 April at The Mounds in Kings Norton. His mother has not yet been found, police said.

The same force is also investigating the death of a baby boy found in a Morrisons car park in Bilston, near Wolverhampton.

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A 21-year-old woman and 36-year-old man were arrested in connection with the death and bailed.

Anyone with information about the Willenhall discovery can contact Crimestoppers anonymously.