A newborn baby found dead in a small patch of woodland by dogwalkers has been named Pearl by police appealing for her mother and father to come forward.
The baby was discovered unwrapped and naked just after 7am on April 4 in a small tract of land known locally as ‘Bluebell Forest’ just 500 yards from a housing estate in Heywood near Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
Detectives gave her the name Pearl, meaning precious, because they felt it was important for the little girl to have an identity after such a short life.
Her body was removed in a pink Moses basket by a female officer who had carried it from home to give the child the dignity she deserved.
Bereft locals residents left flowers and teddy bears in tribute to the baby once the police cordon had been lifted, with several calling her ‘God’s newest little angel’.
This is the spot where a newborn baby girl named Pearl by police was found dead two weeks ago as police appealed for her parents to come forward
A police officer brought a pink moses basket from home to carry away Pearl to give her the dignity she deserved
Pearl is believed to be of white ethnicity, but officers said they could not rule out mixed heritage as it is impossible for them to tell. The cause of her death is still unknown.
Two weeks on Greater Manchester Police still have no idea who the girl’s parents are and very limited information about the case.
Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Hughes (pictured today) says the baby is white, or potentially mixed race, during an appeal for public information
A mobile policing unit was parked at Bluebell Forest today as officers continued to conduct door-to-door enquires in the area.
Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Hughes, of Greater Manchester Police, held a press conference at the scene and, in a statement, pleaded with anyone who might have information about the parents or how Pearl ended up in the woods to come forward.
DCI Lewis said: ‘This is a truly heart-breaking case for all those involved and I know everyone from officers to paramedics and the public have felt the impact of this.
‘We felt it was only right to name to baby girl as it’s important we feel that she is given an identity. We also feel that the name we have chosen which is Pearl, meaning precious, has an appropriate meaning.
‘Obviously all children are precious and this child that has been found in the woods is no different.
‘There’s many different elements to this investigation and it’s been very difficult up to now to try and piece those together.
Cards, balloons, flowers and posters for God’s ‘new little angel’ remain on the tree today
Flowers and cards have been left where the child lay but mystery remains about her birth and her parents
After the cordon around the woodland was lifted locals flooded the area to leave tributes to the child with no name and no identity until today
‘We’ve had very little information leading up to this point and that’s something we’re hoping to get some assistance from the public in terms of getting some new information so that we can investigate about exactly what happened to baby Pearl, what family she is from and how she came to be in the woods that morning.
‘We’re aware that there is a lot of interest in this case locally and we’ve been conducting enquiries in the area and that’s obviously generated a lot of interest from local residents so you may see other officers from the major incident team in the area conducting enquiries over the next few weeks.
‘We’re looking for assistance from the public and from the local residents of Heywood to give us the information we vitally need to progress this investigation and find out exactly what’s happened to baby Pearl.
‘What’s important for me is establishing exactly what’s happened to baby Pearl and we’re looking on the public to assist us with.
‘I believe someone somewhere knows who the parents are and I believe somebody somewhere knows who put baby Pearl in the woods where she was found by local dog walkers.
‘I’d like to appeal to the public if anyone seen anything, heard anything or knows anything, however small they might think that is it could be really important information to us and I’d like to encourage anybody to come forward with that information.’
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4810 or 07387 705768 quoting incident number 368 of 04/04/18. Reports can also be made anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.