Spain arrest over baby trapped in the drains Published duration 23 June 2013

A woman has been arrested in eastern Spain on suspicion of attempted murder, after her newborn baby was rescued from inside a building's drains.

Police say the 26-year-old woman was held in the city of Alicante.

The two-day-old baby boy - who still had his umbilical cord attached - was found wrapped in plastic bags in the manhole in the building's courtyard.

The baby, weighing 2.1kg (4.6lb), is in a serious but not life-threatening condition in a local hospital.

The baby was found after a neighbour had heard what he thought was a meowing cat trapped in the drains and decided to alert firefighters at about 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Sunday.

In a statement, Spanish police said investigators later found the woman who had lived in the building and was taken to hospital on 21 June claiming she had had a miscarriage.

She confessed she had tried to get rid of the baby, but did not have enough money for abortion, police said.

The investigators are trying to determine whether the mother acted alone or had any assistance from a third party.