Baby remains were newborn girl, police say

The remains of a baby found in a field by a dog walker have been identified as a newborn girl.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) made the announcement following a post-mortem examination, and said that they had named the girl "Ava" after previously only identifying her as "Baby A".

The infant's remains were found by a woman who had been walking her dog near Ashtons Field in the Little Hulton area of Salford, in Greater Manchester, at about 12:30 GMT on 20 November.

The cause of Ava's death remains unclear with police saying further pathological and forensic testing is required.

Flowers, teddy bears and tributes that have been left at the scene in her memory are to be cleaned and donated to children's charities.

In a statement, the force said officers had been "working tirelessly conducting hours of house-to-house and CCTV enquiries" to find out exactly what happened to Ava.

The child was found in a field close to a road layby near warehouses, not far from two junctions of the M61.

Last week, police said the baby was wrapped in a pink fabric, and detectives were working with soil experts, archaeologists and anthropologists to try to establish how long the child’s body had been there before it was discovered.

Det Ch Insp Charlotte Whalley from GMP said: “As part of our enquiries, we’re working to establish who Ava’s mum is.

“We are continuing to appeal for her mum, who may require medical assistance, or her family, to come forward and speak to us.

"We believe that there is someone out there now who knows what happened. Please know that we have trained officers ready to support you.

Police have again appealed for more information, asking people to "cast their minds back to previous months".

"Perhaps you heard something, or saw something that didn’t feel right.

"It may have seemed insignificant at the time, but knowing what you know now, come forward. It could be crucial to finding the truth for Ava.”