Baby

The body of a new-born child was found in St Andrews Churchyard in Bedford wrapped up in a parcel on Wednesday 26 February 1947.

The body was found by the verger at the church who said that he noticed the parcel lying near the gates, noting that it had not been there the previous day when he had left at 5.45pm.

He said that when he arrived the following morning, he took it into the vestry where he examined it and when he found that it was the body of a child, he called the police.

The police surgeon said that the child had been dead for less than 24 hours. He said that the child had head injuries and that there had been an apparent attempt at strangulation at which time the child had been practically dead.

He said that in his opinion, the child had been subjected to deliberate violence and that its death was due to a fracture of the skull.