Cathedral funeral planned for baby found dead at recycling centre in Bradford last year

A cathedral is to host a funeral next week for a newborn baby girl whose mother has never been traced.
The funeral will take place on Tuesday at Bradford CathedralThe funeral will take place on Tuesday at Bradford Cathedral
The funeral will take place on Tuesday at Bradford Cathedral

The tiny body was found at the Bowling Back Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre in Bradford West Yorkshire, in August last year.

Bradford Council has arranged for a funeral service for the infant, who was named Daisy, at Bradford Cathedral on Tuesday, saying “the city considers her one of our own”.

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The council also sought to encourage the little girl’s mother to come forward for help.

It said the service, for all faiths, will be attended by staff from the recycling service as well as representatives from the police, and will be conducted by Reverend Canon Paul Maybury, of Bradford Cathedral.

Canon Maybury said: “I will lead prayers for the baby, her family, and all affected by her short life.

“These prayers will be addressed to God, who knows all the circumstances that we do not know and is able to bring comfort to all who grieve.”

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The noon funeral service will be followed by a burial at Bowling Cemetery an hour later.

The council said the new Lord Mayor of Bradford, Shabir Hussain, will attend the burial site.

Leader of Bradford Council Susan Hinchcliffe said: “We thought that this was the least we could do to make sure the little girl, whose physical existence was so fleeting on this planet, will have the opportunity to live on in our memories with this service.

“We may not know who her natural family is, but all of us in Bradford district are now her family.

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“Having a funeral service organised by the council demonstrates that the city considers her one of our own. We are all so sorry that she has been lost to us.”

Bradford Council chief executive Kersten England said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the mother and we hope she receives solace from our efforts to provide the most compassionate service for her daughter.

“We want her to know that she too has not been forgotten and we would encourage her to come forward to get help with her bereavement so she does not have to face it alone.”

She can contact the police, or the Bradford Maternity Assessment Unit on 01274 364531, which is open 24 hours a day.

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The council said Co-op funeral directors are supplying their services free of charge and Bloom florists, of Market Street, Bradford, have agreed to donate flowers and deliver them on the day.

Anyone who wants to attend the funeral at the cathedral will need to be listed – as Covid rules prevent more than 30 people taking part – using this link:https://bradfordcathedral.churchsuite.co.uk/events/jooe3bb2

The council has also asked anyone who intends to turn up at the cemetery to observe Covid-19 social distancing rules.

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