A WOMAN has described her horror at finding a newborn baby abandoned on her doorstep this morning.

The mother of the baby, a 36-year-old local woman, has now come forward and is being taken for medical examination.

Janice Clish, of Emerson Court, in Horden, near Peterlee, told The Northern Echo it was her ex-boyfriend’s dog who drew her attention to the baby early this morning.

She said: “My ex boyfriend Russell Dobson who lives over the road was taking his dog for a walk around the block and was calling for him, but he wasn’t coming.

“Russell went over and saw the dog scratching around and discovered the baby.”

She added: “He woke me up and said ‘there is a baby on the doorstep’. I couldn’t believe it and was absolutely shocked when I saw him.

“He was wrapped in two dressing gowns – a grey one and then a white one around him with coloured stars on it.

“He had no nappy on anything. He was crying a little bit. He must have been newborn as he had blood on his head and down his sides.

“I tapped his back because there was bile coming out of his mouth.”

The couple called the police who took the baby away.

“I’m still shaking about it,” said Ms Clish.

Detective Inspector Aelfwynn Sampson, pictured below, from Durham Constabulary’s Safeguarding team said: “We can confirm that a newborn baby was found at 4.48am on the doorstep of a property in the Horden area today.

The Northern Echo:

“The little boy was taken to North Tees Hospital and is thankfully fit and well.

“We are now working closely with our partners at Durham County Council’s Children Services as part of this investigation.

“However, our priority is that mother and baby, who has been named Jack by hospital staff, get all the support necessary."

At a press conference this afternoon - initially called to encourage the baby's mother to come forward - DI Sampson said: "We believe from paediatric report that the baby was about 12 hours old (born about 7pm the previous evening).He looked like he was full term and was certainly doing well.

"We also began inquiries around CCTV and looking at what we knew about people in the community who may well be pregnant.

"We have a multi-agency safeguarding post which is look after by the police and its partners, which has access to an awful lot of information, including health records, GP records, health records and children services  records.

"We were able to pool together information and came up with some lines of inquiry with people who may potentially be in the frame to be the mother of this baby boy.

"I have officers with her now who are getting support for her to make sure she is okay and gets the support and intervention she may need."

A spokeswoman for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust confirmed the baby was safe and well at North Tees Hospital.

A Durham County Council spokeswoman said it would not be adding to the police statement.