Woman arrested after dead baby found in carrier bag outside London church

Luke Alsford

Published March 31, 2025 3:09pm Updated March 31, 2025 3:23pm

cordon outside All Saints Church in Notting Hill — The boy’s body was discovered last week (Picture: James Weech/PA Wire)

A woman as been arrested on suspicion of concealing a birth, neglect and infanticide after a baby boy was found dead outside a Notting Hill Church.

The child was found in a Marks and Spencer’s bag near All Saints Church in Notting Hill.

The infant was declared dead at the scene on Talbot Road in Notting Hill shortly before 1pm.

A woman in her thirties was found by police on Saturday and arrested in connection with the death.

She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and still receiving care there.

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Street Cleaner Discovers Dead Baby in Bag by Bin at Notting Hill Church ??? Police Urgently Seeking Mother Notting Hill, London ??? Tuesday, 25 March 2025 ??? A heartbreaking discovery was made in west London this afternoon after the body of a newborn baby was found in a bag next to a bin outside a church in Notting Hill. Police have launched an urgent investigation and are appealing for the baby???s mother to come forward, warning she may be in urgent need of medical attention. Emergency services were called at approximately 12:46pm after a Westminster City Council street cleaner reportedly discovered the bag while sweeping leaves near All Saints??? Church on Talbot Road, W11. The worker is understood to have picked up the bag, found near a bin, and realised it was unusually heavy before making the grim discovery. Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service responded, but tragically, the infant was pronounced dead at the scene. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers remain at the scene, where a blue forensic tent has been erected and a wide cordon has been placed around the church, blocking access from Clydesdale Road, Colville Gardens, and Powys Square. Forensic teams are working to establish the circumstances of the incident. At this stage, detectives have not confirmed the baby???s gender or exact age. One local resident told reporters: ???I was told a binman who was sweeping up leaves and putting them in the bin found the body next to it. The guy picked up the plastic bag near the bin and realised it was too heavy. It???s horrible. But you don???t know what situation the mother was in.??? Police are making an urgent appeal to locate the baby's mother, amid fears she may have given birth very recently and could be in a vulnerable or critical condition. Superintendent Owen Renowden said: ???This is an extremely sad and shocking matter and officers are working hard to establish the circumstances around w — All Saints Church in Notting Hill (Picture: UKNIP)

Medical experts will conduct a forensic post-mortem later this week to assist in investigations into the baby’s death.

Superintendent Owen Renowden, who leads policing for Kensington and Chelsea said: ‘This is an ongoing, fast-paced investigation, with officers working tirelessly to ascertain the circumstances of the baby boy’s death.

‘We believe that the woman is the baby’s mother and I am reassured that she is receiving the support she needs, while officers continue their work to understand what took place.

‘I recognise that the news of this arrest may cause concern among our community, but when dealing with investigations of this nature our priority is to ensure the welfare of all involved and ensure that all lines of enquiry are fully explored.

‘I appreciate the high level of attention that this investigation has received, but we politely ask for the public not to speculate.’

Tributes outside All Saints' Church in Notting Hill, west London, where a baby's body was found in a bag on Tuesday. Officers were called to the scene in Talbot Road at 12.46pm on Tuesday and police are urgently appealing for the mother to come forward "for her own welfare". Picture date: Wednesday March 26, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE NottingHill. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire — Tributes were laid outside All Saints’ Church in Notting Hill in west London (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

The deputy warden at All Saints’ Church in Notting Hill said she had ‘never heard anything like this in my life.’

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Marcia Haynes told reporters: ‘I came here to prepare for the food bank and I just saw loads of police arriving, and when I came out it was all taped over.’

Marcia added the news a baby had died ‘just freaked me out, and I just I had to abandon what I was doing and go home because I thought I was going to be ill, to be honest’.

‘I’ve been here since 1966, I’ve never heard anything like this in my life.’

Moving tributes were later placed outside the church, including bunches of flowers and a toy bunny.

A note, left under a lit candle, read: ‘God bless the little Baby x’.

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