We are striving for answers to give a baby boy who was found dead in a Kirkham brook 13 years ago an identity

It’s been more than 13 years since the baby boy was found in Spen Brook, off Carr Lane in Kirkham, on October 1, 2011.

He was no more than a month old and was believed to have been in the water for no more than five days before his body was discovered.

A massive police investigation followed, but despite multiple public appeals and appearances on BBC's Crimewatch and This Morning, no trace of the baby's mother was ever found.

He was laid to rest one year later at St Michael's Church in Kirkham without ever being identified.

Local people raised more than £1,000 to pay for the funeral, but a local funeral parlour, Billingtons, stepped up to provide the service free of charge.

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The money was donated to the baby units in Blackpool and Preston hospitals instead.

His small blue coffin was carried in by a police officer, with his headstone simply reading: “Baby Boy.”

In a press conference held today at the scene of the discovery, Detective Chief Inspector Bryony Midgley of Lancashire Police confirmed they had traced the boy’s father.

The father, who was located through a DNA familial link, was in his 20s and living in Blackpool at the time. He is not a suspect and is helping police with their inquiries.

The baby’s cause of death remains unascertained.

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Det Chief Insp Midgley said: “Within Lancashire Police, in the last 18 months we’ve set up a cold case major crime review team, and this is one of the priority investigations that we would like to get answers for.

“Forensic science and DNA technology have advanced dramatically in the last 13 years, which has helped us to identify who the dad is. We’re hoping that same science will eventually lead us to who the mum is, but we need a sample of her DNA to be able to compare it to the baby’s.

“Everybody wants answers. We’ve got a quiet community here where this did have a significant impact, and it certainly impacted the officers who worked on the investigation back in 2011, and my team now are really striving to find answers.

“We want to be able to give this baby an identity and try and understand how he came to be found in such tragic circumstances.”

Following the tragic discovery, police released images of the baby's fleece in the hope of finding someone who recognised it.

The item of clothing was blue and white and was from Asda's George range.

As well as the fleece, officers found two towels - one green and one with a Union Jack pattern - at the scene.

There was also a black bin bag which had Blackpool Borough Council written on it.

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“We believe that there is someone out there now who knows what happened,” Det Chief Insp Midgley said.

“You may not have felt confident to come forward before. Your circumstances or loyalties may have changed, but I would urge you to now come forward and speak to our officers who are ready to talk to you.

“Even the smallest piece of information could be pivotal to our investigation.”

She added: “This is something Lancashire Police won’t give up on. We have a responsibility to find out who mum was and understand that she might have been vulnerable.

“We need your help to identify her.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log number 0273 of March 19, 2025.

Alternatively, you can leave information on the Major Incident Public Portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/0401020111A12-PO1.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.