Baby Elsa abandoned on coldest night of the year making ‘astonishing’ progress

The junction of the Greenway and High Street South in Newham, east London, where a newborn baby was found in a shopping bag by a dog walker. The girl, who police say is well and not injured, was discovered wrapped in a towel and inside the bag on Thursday evening. Picture date: Friday January 19, 2024.
The junction of the Greenway and High Street South in Newham, east London, where a newborn baby was found in a shopping bag by a dog walker (Picture: PA)

A baby girl found abandoned in a shopping bag in freezing temperatures is doing well and has taken her first steps, a family court hearing has been told.

Baby Elsa, named by nurses after the character in Disney’s Frozen, was thought to be barely an hour old when she was found by a dog walker in east London on the coldest night of the year last January.

In the months that followed it would emerge she had two older siblings who were also abandoned in the same area of the city, in 2017 and 2019.

Detectives are still trying to track down their parents and have offered a £20,000 reward for information leading to their identification.

Earlier this month, East London Family Court was told Elsa had taken her first steps and is ‘developing well’.

Judge Carol Atkinson said the update was ‘astonishing’.

Steven Evans, for Newham Council, said: ‘The social work team reported to me that Elsa is developing well. She has taken her first steps. She is meeting all her developmental milestones.

‘The social worker describes her visits as “the best visits ever”.’

Elsa was found wrapped in a towel in a reusable shopping bag on January 18 last year, at the junction of Greenway and High Street South in East Ham, east London.

Last June, Judge Atkinson allowed reporting of the fact that Elsa has two siblings, who were found in similar circumstances in the same area of London.

METRO GRAPHICS map showing locations in east London where the abandoned sibling babies were found
The three newborns were all abandoned in the same area of London over the course of seven years (Picture: Google/Metro.co.uk)

In September 2017, Harry was found wrapped in a white blanket in Balaam Street, Plaistow.

Roman was found in similar circumstances in a play area off Roman Road, Newham, in late January 2019, as freezing temperatures and snow gripped the city.

Harry and Roman, not their real names, have since been adopted.

On the first anniversary of Elsa’s discovery earlier this year, the independent group Crimestoppers offered a £20,000 reward for information passed to the charity, which will expire on April 18.

Undated Metropolitan Police handout photo of Harry, a newborn baby boy who was found wrapped in a white blanket in a park area near Balaam street in Plaistow three months ago as police have released new images and footage of him in a bid to trace his mother. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday December 21, 2017. Detective Inspector Debbie McCormack said: "It has now been three months since Harry was found. "In that time we have been in constant contact with hospitals throughout London to see if Harry's mother has sought medical attention but we have yet to identify her. We are growing increasingly concerned for her welfare. See PA story POLICE Baby. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Baby Harry was found wrapped in a white blanket in Balaam Street, Plaistow (Picture: PA)
Appeal to trace the mother of a newborn abandoned in Newham http://news.met.police.uk/news/appeal-to-trace-the-mother-of-a-newborn-abandoned-in-newham-357013
A photo issued by the Met Police of Baby Roman (Picture: Metropolitan Police)

The police investigation into the identity of the children’s parents continues, and anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or post @MetCC ref Operation Wolcott.

People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously at any time on 0800 555 111 or via Crimestoppers-uk.org.

The reward will only be payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police, and a reward code must be asked for.

Those who contact Crimestoppers online must use the ‘keeping in contact’ facility, and a reward code must be requested.

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