Baby boy whose remains lay hidden for more than 100 years buried in County Durham

An unidentified baby boy whose remains lay hidden for more than 100 years has been buried, police have said.

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The child, who was found by a builder renovating a property in Bishop Auckland in 2024, was laid to rest in "a dignified and compassionate service", Durham Constabulary said after the service on Monday.

Detectives have been trying to trace the youngster, affectionately known as 'Baby Auckland', since he was found under floorboards at an address in Fore Bondgate in the town.

The baby was found carefully wrapped in a newspaper titled The Umpire published on 19 June 1910 with twine around his neck.

A post-mortem at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle could not establish a cause of death, but further forensic analysis, including carbon dating, confirmed the baby was male and dated back to before 1945.

But adding to the mystery, another type of radio-carbon dating was also carried out that suggested a range of possible dates for the baby's life was as far back as between 1726 and 1812.

The child was full-term of about 40 weeks development and his body had remained undisturbed for many years, initial findings suggested.

An inquest into the child's death, which opened earlier this month, heard it was not possible to say whether the baby was stillborn but twine was found looped three times around his neck, senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield said.

Detective Chief Inspector Mel Sutherland, who delivered a tribute during the funeral service held in the town, called it a "deeply thought-provoking case".

"Coming together today has allowed us to properly acknowledge this little boy's life and ensure he was laid to rest with the dignity and respect he deserved. We hope he may now rest in peace," he said.

Councillor Cathy Hunt, Durham County Council's cabinet member for children and young people's services, said: "Sadly, for reasons we will never know, this little boy was never given the dignified and appropriate burial he deserved, so it was important that he was laid to rest in a way that honoured a life that could have been.

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"We'd like to thank everyone who attended today's funeral and we hope Baby Auckland can now rest in peace."

During the service, Assistant Chief Constable Jon McAdam, alongside partners, laid flowers in remembrance.

An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death will continue next month.

(c) Sky News 2026: Baby boy whose remains lay hidden for more than 100 years buried in County Durham