Two released over discovery of newborn baby in Heywood

Over the past six and a half months, officers from GMP’s Major Incident Team have worked tirelessly and carried out extensive enquiries to try and determine exactly what happened to Pearl

Greater Manchester Police say an investigation into the body of a baby girl found in Heywood woodland has now closed while two people arrested in connection with it have been released without charge.

At around 7.10am on Wednesday, April 4, police were called to reports that the body of a baby had been found in woodland off Peel Lane, near to the old rubbish tip site.

An immediate investigation was launched and investigating officers chose to name the baby girl Pearl - meaning precious.

Over the past six and a half months, officers from GMP’s Major Incident Team have worked tirelessly and carried out extensive enquiries to try and determine exactly what happened to Pearl.

A file of evidence was subsequently presented to the Crown Prosecution Service who made the independent decision to take no further action.

Following this decision, a 48-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman - who were arrested in July on suspicion of murder, concealing a birth and preventing a lawful burial - have been released with no further action.

A file has been passed to the coroner in preparation for an inquest.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Wesley Knights, said: “It has been a challenging and emotional six and a half months for everyone involved in this case and our team worked painstaking hours in an attempt to determine what happened to this little girl.

“It’s been a meticulous investigation that followed extensive lines of enquiry from forensic and DNA analysis to CCTV and house to house enquiries.

“Whilst our investigation will now be closed, we will continue to treat any new lines of enquiry and credible information incredibly seriously and I would urge anyone with further information to report it to police.

“I would like to thank the community for their support throughout the course of this investigation as without their help we couldn’t have got this far and I know that Pearl will never be forgotten.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4810 or 07387 705 768 quoting incident number 368 of 04/04/18.

Reports can also be made anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.