Mother of baby abandoned in shopping bag still not identified, court told

THE mother of a baby found abandoned in a shopping bag in east London in January has still not been identified, a court has been told.

The baby girl was found by a dog walker in freezing temperatures in East Ham at around 9.15pm on January 18, wrapped in a towel in a reusable shopping bag.

She was named Elsa by hospital staff who cared for her due to the sub-zero temperatures on the night she was found.

East London Family Court heard yesterday that the child’s mother has not yet come forward and police inquiries into her identity are continuing.

Kate Claxton, representing Newham London Borough Council, said: “The police currently have no leads.”

Ms Claxton told the court that the ongoing investigation means that Elsa’s birth cannot be registered, meaning no final decision regarding her care can be made.

Judge Carol Atkinson adjourned the case until May 17.

The Metropolitan Police said in January that Elsa was believed to be less than an hour old when she was found at the junction of Greenway and High Street South. It is believed that she was kept warm by the dog walker with blankets found with her and was not injured in any way.

The force said it was “highly likely” that she was born after a “concealed pregnancy”.

Officers also previously expressed concern for the mother’s welfare and urged her to come forward, with a woman spotted entering the Greenway from the High Street South entrance at around 8.45pm on January 18.

Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, lead for policing in Newham, said in January: “We believe the woman is black, was wearing a large dark coat with a light-coloured scarf or hood around her neck, and had a rucksack on her back.”