New appeal to find mother of tragic ‘Baby Peter’ six months after church discovery

POLICE HAVE re-appealed for information six months on from the discovery of a newborn baby boy inside a Tesco Bag for Life near the vicarage of a Leeds church.

Baby ‘Peter’ was found wrapped in a towel and shirt near the vicarage doorstep of St Peter’s Church, Bramley, on November 23 by the vicar. He was pronounced dead at Leeds General Infirmary and, despite inquiries, police have still yet to identify his mother.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Bryar, who said the mother’s welfare remains a priority, said: “Although six months have now passed since the discovery of Baby Peter, we remain just as concerned for the welfare of his mother as we were on the first day. We are still doing everything we can to identify her and ensure she gets the help and support she needs.

“We recognise that many people in the community have been touched by this incident, and their genuine concerns were so positively illustrated by all those who rallied round to donate money for any funeral costs following an appeal by a member of the community.

“We are convinced that the answer as to who is Peter’s mum is still out there, and we continue to ask people to consider carefully the elements we have appealed around before – the Tesco Bag for Life, the Dunnes 15-inch collar white men’s shirt and the blue striped towel that Peter was wrapped in.

“Does anyone still have suspicions about someone they know and recognise those items from this person’s life? We have a DNA profile of the mother and can easily eliminate anyone put forward if it is not them, so people shouldn’t be worried about suggesting someone they have concerns about.”

An appeal to pay for a headstone for the baby raised £2,025 but his body has not yet been released. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101.