“We are not giving up on getting justice for Ava" - new information revealed on Baby Ava's death

Ava was found on 20 November 2024 by a dog walker, in Ashtons Field, off Ravenscraig Road. Since this discovery, detectives have been working to to get closer to the full circumstances of how Ava came to be in that location, deceased.

Following the police’s earlier updates, where they revealed a piece of fabric had been recovered from the scene, they are now able to confirm that this fabric is a pair of ladies’ size large underwear, with a distinct pattern of what they believe is cartoon donkeys on them.

Police believe the underwear is not manufactured in the UK, but can be shipped wholesale. They hope given their distinctive nature that somebody recognises them.

Police also revealed that Ava was found on top of a layer of snow next to an area that may have been disturbed by animals, so they believe she had been buried initially.

Enquiries remain ongoing with several experts such as an anthropologist, archaeologist, entomologist and dentist to establish Ava’s age, ethnicity, how long she may have been in the location she was found and any other facts which may assist the investigation.

Unfortunately, DNA recovered from the underwear, as well as trawls of several public databases, have not furthered the search for Ava’s parents as yet. However, they do believe that Ava was born at around 38 to 39 weeks gestation, and that the pregnancy may have been concealed or unregistered.

Police continue to appeal directly to Ava’s mum or dad to come forward or to anyone who may know who her parents are.

Detective Chief Inspector Charlotte Whalley from our Major Incident Team said: “This investigation so far has been extremely complex, but we are using every possible resource and expert available to us to uncover what happened to Baby Ava.

“We have followed up on hundreds of public tips, which demonstrates the care the community have for helping us get answers for Ava, but unfortunately these have not resulted in a positive identification so far.“It will soon be a year since Ava was discovered at Ashtons Field, which may bring up memories for her parents or those who may have known this family. I implore you to reach out to us, to a support network or another agency so we can help and support you.

“We are not giving up on getting justice for Ava, and would encourage anyone with information to come forward and assist our investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24. Information can also be shared via their Major Incident Public Portal here.