Baby girl's body found on Menai Strait shore may have been in water for weeks, North Wales Police say

North Wales Police have confirmed that the body discovered on a shoreline in Bangor is that of a newborn baby girl, and initial indications suggest she may have been in the water for up to several weeks before being found. The update came on Thursday, several days after a member of the public came across the remains on the Menai Strait shoreline near Siliwen Road in the Gwynedd city.

The grim discovery was made shortly before 17:00 BST on Sunday, prompting an immediate response from emergency services and the launch of a major investigation. A post-mortem examination carried out in the days that followed established the sex of the infant, who police now believe was only days or weeks old at the time of her death.

Detectives have made clear that their priority is locating the child's mother, and they issued a direct public appeal for her to get in touch. Superintendent Llinos Davies, who is leading the force's response, acknowledged that the woman may be deeply reluctant to come forward, but stressed that police were concerned first and foremost with her safety and wellbeing.

"We understand that the mother may be fearful of coming forward but we urge her to make contact with us," Supt Davies said, adding that she wanted to reassure the woman that her welfare was the force's "utmost concern." Her comments reflect the sensitive nature of an inquiry that has shocked the local community and raised difficult questions about the circumstances surrounding the baby's death.

The investigation remains at an early stage, and officers have said further scientific tests are under way to establish more details about the infant and the timeline leading up to her death. Until those results are returned, police are unable to say precisely how long the body had been in the water, though early indications point to a period of a few weeks rather than days. The location — a stretch of shoreline on the Menai Strait, the narrow channel separating mainland Wales from Anglesey — has been cordoned off while forensic examination continues.

Supt Davies also widened her appeal beyond the mother herself, asking members of the public to report anyone whose behaviour had given them cause for concern in recent months. She said police were particularly interested in hearing about a girl or woman who may have been pregnant, or whose conduct had seemed unusual or out of character — including withdrawing from friends, family or social ties. Such information, she said, could prove crucial in identifying the mother and piecing together what happened.

In an effort to encourage people to come forward, the superintendent gave an assurance that any names passed to police would be handled with the strictest confidence and could be eliminated from the inquiry without delay. That commitment appears designed to reduce the fear that a well-meaning tip-off could wrongly implicate someone, while still allowing investigators to narrow down their search for the woman at the centre of the case.

Supt Davies also thanked the local community for what she described as overwhelming support and assistance since the discovery was made. Her remarks suggest that officers have received a steady flow of information from residents in and around Bangor, where the presence of crime scene tape and uniformed officers near the waterfront has been a visible and unsettling reminder of the unfolding investigation.

The health board responsible for the region has added its voice to the appeal, with a senior midwifery figure making a direct and personal plea to the mother. Fiona Giraud, director of midwifery and women's services for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said her immediate concern was the woman's health, safety and wellbeing, and she urged her not to feel that she had to carry the burden alone.

Addressing the mother directly, Giraud said she might feel she had nowhere to turn or that she could not speak to anyone about what had happened. She emphasised that the circumstances of the baby's death were not yet fully understood, and that what mattered most at this stage was finding the woman, ensuring she was safe and making sure she received any medical attention and support she might need.

Giraud's intervention is significant because it signals that health services are prepared to offer care rather than judgement, a message that authorities often deploy in cases where a mother may be frightened of the legal or social consequences of coming forward. Her words — "I am asking you personally, please take the first step and contact us. There are people to help you" — were clearly intended to lower the barriers that might be preventing the woman from seeking help.

The case has resonated well beyond north Wales, drawing attention to the wider issue of how authorities respond when a newborn is found dead and the mother cannot immediately be identified. Police forces in similar situations have frequently emphasised that their initial focus is on safeguarding and medical care, while the full facts of the case are established through post-mortem examination and other investigative work.

For now, the shoreline near Siliwen Road remains at the centre of the inquiry, and officers are continuing to appeal for information from anyone who may have seen something unusual in the area in recent weeks. Investigators have not disclosed whether they are treating the death as suspicious, and they have released few details beyond the confirmation of the baby's sex and the early estimate of how long the body may have been in the water.

Members of the public with information relevant to the inquiry, or anyone concerned about a woman or girl who may recently have been pregnant, are being asked to contact North Wales Police. The force has stressed that all approaches will be treated with discretion, and that its overriding aim is to find the mother, establish the full circumstances of the baby's death and ensure that anyone in need of support receives it.