Baby may have been dead up to two years

The mother of the baby found dead in a Christchurch garden shed yesterday will appear in court tomorrow.

The woman will face a charge of failing to report the death of her baby when she appears in Christchurch District Court, officer in charge Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald told NZPA tonight.

The woman was found by police today, 24 hours after the baby was found in a shed behind a boarding house in suburban Waltham yesterday.

Police now believe the baby was born in the middle of last year after earlier saying that the child could have died up to two years ago.

Mr Fitzgerald said that a post mortem examination had been carried out but he refused to reveal the gender or ethnicity of the baby.

Up to 12 people live at the boarding house, but the occupants said they had not seen a baby there.

Mr Fitzgerald said it was possible the baby's mother could have been a visitor.

The body was taken away from the house by hearse, in a washing basket, after being found while the shed was being cleaned out.

He said there may have been no deliberate attempt to hide the body in the shed.

Police and forensic technicians would continue working at the property for the next three to four days, while the boarders remained at motels.

- NZPA