Baby

The body of a newly-born female child was found in the canal at Hill Top in West Bromwich.

The body had been wrapped up in articles of clothing and put in a shopping bag before being dumped in the canal.

It was heard that that the baby had been born premature and had weighed only 3lb 5oz. Its cause of death was given as being due to asphyxia at birth.

The police said that their efforts to trace the mother had been unsuccessful.

An open verdict was returned.

Another newly-born female child was found the following year by the canal at Hill Top on Saturday 1 September 1962, although that child had been stabbed 30 times.