Newborn baby found dead in pile of rubbish - prompting search for mother

Police are urging the mother of a newborn baby found dead in a pile of rubbish at a warehouse in the West Midlands to come forward.

The baby, believed to be a girl, was found in waste that had been transported to an industrial site in Rowley Regis, near Birmingham, on Thursday, West Midlands Police said.

Police are looking to identify the baby's mother out of concern for her welfare as she may need medical care.

Enquiries are being carried out, including forensic examinations, to identify the girl and ascertain how she died.

Officers believe the baby was "unknowingly transported" by a private waste operator to the site, in Station Road, on Wednesday.

The private waste operator who transported the baby to the site works across the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Mercia areas.

The business is not being connected to the death of the baby.

Read more from Sky News:
New video shows Henry Nowak's killer lying to police
Christmas market terrorist jailed for life

Detective Chief Inspector Kylie Westlake, from the West Midlands Police Public Protection Unit, said: "While we don't yet know what has happened, what we do know is that there must be a mother out there who is in real need of help − and she is our absolute priority at the moment.

"We have been checking CCTV and speaking to hospitals, but it may be that the mother or someone who knows who she is sees this appeal.

"I really want to speak to her to make sure she's OK, and to ensure that she can get the help that she urgently needs."

Police have urged anyone who has spotted a loved one or someone they know behaving "differently" to come forward.

She added: "We'll treat information we receive sensitively, and we'd ask for anyone who can help us identify who baby and mother was to come forward.

"It may be you live near a baby, and their mother, who have unexpectedly not been seen for a number of days."

(c) Sky News 2026: Newborn baby found dead in pile of rubbish - prompting search for mother