A newborn baby has been found dead in a warehouse, and police have issued an urgent appeal to locate the mother. The body of the baby, believed to be a girl, was discovered within a pile of waste at an industrial site on Station Road in Rowley Regis, in the Black Country, on Thursday.

West Midlands Police believe the baby was unknowingly transported to the warehouse by a private waste operator on Wednesday before being found just before noon the following day. The force said the operator, which works across the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Mercia, is not being linked to the baby's death. Detectives are carrying out forensic examinations to identify the newborn and establish how she died, while officers have been checking CCTV and speaking to hospitals as they urgently try to trace the baby's mother. Police said they are concerned for the woman's welfare and believe she may require urgent care or medical attention.

In an appeal, the force said: "You may be a mother, father, friend, teacher or lecturer who has spotted a loved-one who has behaved differently recently."

Detective Chief Inspector Kylie Westlake said: "While we don’t yet know what has happened, what we do know is that there must be a mother out there who is in real need of help - and she is our absolute priority at the moment.

"We have been checking CCTV and speaking to hospitals, but it may be that the mother or someone who knows who she is sees this appeal.

"I really want to speak to her to make sure she’s OK, and to ensure that she can get the help that she urgently needs."

She urged anyone who may be able to help identify the baby's mother to come forward.

A Major Incident Public Portal has been launched to allow members of the public to submit information directly to detectives investigating the case. West Midlands Police said any information received would be treated sensitively.