Southampton placenta find prompts £5,000 reward offer

The placenta was found on a path off Dale Road

A £5,000 Crimestoppers reward is being offered for information after a human placenta was found on a path.

The organ was discovered near the Spire and General hospitals off Dale Road in Southampton on 21 June.

Police have so far been unable to trace the mother and baby or establish whether either has been harmed.

The Crimestoppers charity said the reward was for exclusive information that revealed those responsible for the unlawful concealment of a birth.

Its regional manager Beth Simpson said: "There is increasing concern for the well-being of the baby and its mother.

"Someone may know or suspect who the mother is."

Police, who first appealed for information in June, said the mother would have come forward by now if she was willing or able to.

Det Ch Insp Elizabeth Pirie said: "We appreciate the sentiment from some members of the public that the woman will never make herself known and for us to leave her alone.

"However, we must consider a range of possibilities and that the mother and her child could be in distress or may have come to harm."

Previously police said two women who were arrested over the find would face "no further action".

Det Ch Insp Pirie said the women, together with several other individuals, had been "completely discounted from the investigation".

She added: "We are keeping a very open mind about the many scenarios that could have led to the placenta being discovered.

"We shall continue to visit people in the local community as we carry out our inquiries."

The force previously said the mother was thought to have given birth between 17 and 21 June.