Baby found dead in bathroom of West Yorkshire pub "stillborn" - police
Officers believe the baby was stillborn in the bathroom of the pub, and have stressed the search for her mother is a "welfare enquiry"
Last updated 29th Jan 2024
West Yorkshire Police are making a fresh plea for help in finding the mother of a baby, believed to have been stillborn in a pub near Leeds.
The baby girl was found in the toilet of the Three Horseshoes in Oulton on Sunday afternoon.
Giving a press conference in Leeds this afternoon, Detective Inspector James Entwistle from the West Yorkshire force spoke to the mother directly, saying "I'm not here to arrest you."
"I'm here to make sure I understand what's happened, and make sure the mother get's the medical attention she needs."
DCI Entwistle said the evidence so far suggested the baby's death was "a stillbirth, and a stillbirth that may have taken place within that bathroom cubicle".
The West Yorkshire Police officer made a plea to the mother: "Please, get in touch with us, get in touch with our NHS colleagues and please make sure that we can get you the care you need.
"All I want to achieve is making sure that this doesn't happen again to you or to anyone else."
Karen Sykes, head of safeguarding at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, told the press conference in Leeds after the discovery of the dead newborn: "To the mother of this baby girl - we are really concerned about your medical, physical and emotional wellbeing at this point in time and urgently ask you to seek some medical help and advice.
"You can either go to your GP, but if you don't feel comfortable going to your GP, come to one of our ED departments."
Ms Sykes said the mother could also call 111 or go to one of the trust's maternity assessment centres.