Police seek mother after baby found dead

Police at the property where the baby's body was found. Photo / Simon Baker

Police are looking for the mother of a baby found dead at a Christchurch house yesterday.

The investigation into the death of the new born or very young baby was continuing and Christchurch police said they were keen to hear from anyone who might know a woman who was missing a child with no reason for its absence.

"We need to find the child's mother," Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald said. "Someone will have knowledge of a recently late term pregnant woman who now does not have a child."

"Family, friends, a care giver, midwife or GP may have the information we need."

Police said the post-mortem would be conducted this morning and may provide more information.

Christchurch police last night placed a guard on the 10-bedroom, two-storey house after the discovery of they baby's body.

They would say little other than to confirm that the infant found dead at the Sydenham property was either newborn or very young.

The house's dozen residents were sent to motels.

Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald said an inquiry had begun into the age of the child and the circumstances surrounding the death.

Neighbours said up to 12 boarders lived in the Hornbrook St house, and the landlord occupied a ground-floor flat.

They said there were regular noise issues with the house and there were problems the previous evening.

Police talked to the boarders as they returned home yesterday, advising them that they would have to stay elsewhere while a forensic examination was carried out.

The baby's body was removed from the property in the afternoon.

One of the neighbours to the property, Lynne Grafton, said she first noticed police there about 10.30am.

She said her daughter saw what she thought was blood on jeans or other material at the house.

The property was a bedsit where people would often come and go, Ms Grafton said.

There were often arguments there at the weekends.

"But you get used to it."

She said the thought of such an incident happening so close to her home was scary.

The police inquiry team also want to speak to everyone who had lived at the house in the last six months.

"We will locate them all but it would help us if anyone who has lived there recently could contact the team at Christchurch South Police, as soon as possible, phone 03 363 7400," said Mr Fitzgerald.

- With NZPA