Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Man and woman released after baby found dead at recycling centre

Police are treating the baby’s death as unexplained

Eleanor Noyce
Friday 14 April 2023 08:37 EDT
The baby’s body was found at a facility on Lufton Trading Estate
The baby’s body was found at a facility on Lufton Trading Estate (Google Maps)

Two people arrested after the body of a newborn baby was found in a waste and recycling centre in Yeovil have been released under investigation.

Police were called to the site on the Lufton Trading Estate just after 2.30pm on Wednesday after a member of staff found the body of a baby girl.

A woman in her 20s was arrested later on Wednesday on suspicion of concealing a birth. A man in his 30s was arrested on Thursday for the same offence.

Both have now been released under investigation, Avon and Somerset Police said on Friday.

Police are currently treating the baby’s death as unexplained.

Detective Inspector Ben Lavender said: “This is a very sad and distressing incident.

“We don’t yet know what has happened and are treating the baby’s death as unexplained at this time, pending the results of a post-mortem examination.

“In the meantime, it was necessary to arrest a woman, and later a man, in order to interview them under caution and with the appropriate legal safeguards. Medical support was put in place while the woman was in custody.

“Our enquiries continue pending the results of the post-mortem examination which we don’t expect to have for some time so further updates are unlikely at this stage.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in