A woman in her 30s has been arrested after a newborn baby boy was found dead in a carrier bag in Notting Hill, west London, last week.
The woman, believed to be the baby’s mother, was detained on Saturday on suspicion of concealing a birth, neglect and infanticide, the Metropolitan Police said.
She remains in hospital having been taken there for treatment following her arrest.
Supt Owen Renowden said the woman is “receiving the support she needs while officers continue their work to understand what took place”.
Officers were called at 12:46 GMT on 25 March to Powis Gardens following a report that the body of a baby had been found in a Marks & Spencer bag outside All Saints Church.
London Ambulance Service attended and the baby was declared dead at the scene.
The force said that arrests such as these were necessary in cases like this so that officers can investigate the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death.
A post-mortem examination is due to take place later this week, but officers remain open-minded, the Met said.
Supt Renowden, who leads policing for area, said: “This is an ongoing, fast-paced investigation, with officers working tirelessly to ascertain the circumstances of the baby boy’s death.
“I recognise that the news of this arrest may cause concern among our community, but when dealing with investigations of this nature our priority is to ensure the welfare of all involved and ensure that all lines of inquiry are fully explored.”
He added that the force was still appealing for information about what happened.
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