Pair who found girl say she ‘had a blanket on her and that’s it - in a Sainsbury’s shopping bag’

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A mother and son who found an abandoned newborn in a shopping bag at an east London park in freezing temperatures have spoken of their shock.

Newborn baby girl abandoned in east London park Read more

The baby girl, named Roman by the medical staff who went on to care for her, was left wrapped in a blanket in a shopping bag by a park bench late on Thursday.

Rima Zvaliauskas was walking her dog when she heard crying coming from a play area off Roman Road in Newham at about 10.15pm.

The former midwife told the BBC she was left shocked and stressed by the discovery. When asked how long the child was out there, her son, Lvidijus, said: ‘“She had a frosty forehead so maybe, I don’t know, 15 or 20 minutes or so.” It began to snow shortly after, he added.

“It was very cold,” she said.

Lvidijus said: “My mum at 10 o’clock in the evening was walking the dog and she heard a noise coming out from a bag. She rang me up because she was too scared to approach the bag. When I came I just found the baby in the bag and we phoned the ambulance and the police.”

Lvidijus described the incident as unreal. He said: “She just had a blanket on her and that’s it – in a Sainsbury’s shopping bag.”

The baby was taken to a hospital in east London and was said to be in a stable condition on Friday morning. The Metropolitan police released a photograph that showed her attached to an intravenous drip and monitoring equipment.

Officers said they were increasingly concerned about the mother’s welfare and are continuing their efforts to find the baby’s mother. They appealed for her to come forward so she could receive medical care and support.

Appealing directly to her mother, Insp Shane Clarke, of the north-east command unit, said: “I urge you to make contact either with police, your local hospital or GP surgery. It is really important that we know that you are safe.

“I would also urge anyone who has information that could help us to reunite this baby with her mother to come forward.”

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the mother is asked to call police on 101.