Parents of dead baby found near river identified

The parents of a baby whose remains were discovered near a river prompting a major police investigation have been traced.

Officers from Lancashire Police were called to a report of the discovery of foetal remains beneath Hodder Bridge on Whalley Road in Stonyhurst at 15:13 BST on Tuesday.

The force said both parents "have come forward" following an appeal by officers.

It added: "We need to make it really clear that after speaking to them and conducting further enquiries, we are satisfied that there has been no crime committed, and our investigation has been brought to a close."

Det Ch Insp Jill Vescovi, of the force's major investigation team said: "First and foremost, I want to take a moment to recognise the parents, who have been extremely brave in coming forward to us this week.

"They have been through something incredibly distressing and are being offered the appropriate support."

She said: "I and my team appreciate the assistance from the public from our initial request, and we understand this will have been a talking point in the community, so it was important to bring you this update."

She asked that the public "respect the parents, their distress, and the fact that no crime has taken place".

"Please now allow them to lay their baby to rest appropriately, with the knowledge that we have conducted a thorough investigation, and avoid speculating online or between yourselves," she added.

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