Six years on, mystery remains over baby found in a waste depot

A coroner said it may never been known what “desperate circumstances” led to “such a callous disposal” of the body of the little girl in Shipley, near Bradford, in May 2011.

Detective Superintendent Nick Wallen told an inquest in Bradford on Tuesday that a huge investigation had been launched after workers on the night shift at Associated Waste Management, in Valley Road, spotted parts of the baby’s body on a conveyor belt used for sorting rubbish brought in from across West Yorkshire.

But Mr Wallen said it was like looking for “a needle in a haystack”.

Despite this, the officer said that his team narrowed the search down to 36,000 potential domestic properties where the rubbish could have come from and all these were sent a letter appealing for help.

Mr Wallen also said 200 women were interviewed after a media appeal by detectives and some of this led to DNA tests being carried out.

But he told the inquest that police have not been able to trace the mother.

The detective said: “This is not an inquiry that will ever be closed. If we ever receive information to suggest who mum may have been we will act on that.

“I would like to take the opportunity again to appeal to anybody who is reading or watching TV or newspapers for anyone who has any information to contact police and we will act upon that information.”

The inquest heard how two pathologists and a further specialist could not ascertain the cause of death.

The coroner also heard how the post-mortem examination was unable to conclude whether the baby had been born alive. It did show that she was full-term and had died two to three days before her body was discovered. The experts said the catastrophic injuries apparent on the body were caused by machinery at the plant.

Mr Fleming recorded an open verdict, saying it was a “desperately tragic case”.

“We may never know the desperate circumstances that led to such a callous disposal.”

The coroner joined with Mr Wallen to appeal to anyone who still had information to come forward to the police.

“It is never too late to come forward and do the right thing. The police investigation will remain open to any new leads as far as evidence is concerned.”

A funeral was held for the baby more than a year after her body was found. It was organised by a local toddler group and staff from the plant, who named her Catherine, after the Duchess of Cambridge.