Residents dig deep for bench find baby

Caring residents have rallied round to buy the baby girl abandoned on a bench her first teddy bear and baby grows, as appeals for her mum to come forward continue.

Named Charlotte after the police woman who took her to hospital, she is thought to have been less than a day old when she was discovered in Hailesland Park, Wester Hailes, at around 1pm on Thursday.

Warm-hearted residents living in the tight-knit community where Charlotte was found have been having a whip-round so they can buy her the sorts of presents any newborn would expect.

The collection is all the more poignant given her mum isn’t around to see the items being handed over.

John Aitchison, chairman of Wester Hailes Community Council, said residents have been touched by Charlotte’s story.

He said: “The minute I heard what had happened I knew we would need to do something to help.

“We will definitely be trying to raise some funds for the baby. We have a meeting next Wednesday and will be discussing our options then.”

Charlotte, who is being cared for by staff at the Simpson Centre for Reproductive Health at the Royal Infirmary, weighs 5.7lbs and is said to be “very settled”.

She is being cared for at a specialist neonatal unit where she has been given antibiotics as a precaution.

Tests have also been performed to rule out infection, including group B strep.

Chief midwife Maria Wilson said: “Charlotte is a really lovely little girl, petite and beautiful.

“She’s feeding well and doing all of the things a newborn baby should be doing – the nursing staff are really fussing over her.

“We are keen for her mother to contact us so we can give her all the care that she needs.

“There’s a chance with any new mother that she could develop complications such as bleeding, although lots of mothers are OK. It’s really important that we make sure she is OK and reunite her with her baby.

“And it’s important that she knows if she does contact us it is completely in confidence and we will do whatever we can to support her.

“We will put her in contact with social services who will be able to offer her additional support.”

Ms Wilson, left, said it is not known how long Charlotte would remain in hospital.

It is understood that if the mother is not traced by the time Charlotte is ready to leave hospital, it will be the responsibilty of the council to find her foster parents.

The area around Hailesland Park has at least three CCTV cameras and officers from Police Scotland are currently poring over tapes in the hope they can locate the missing mum.

We exclusively revealed yesterday how resident Lawrence Liddell, 59, found the baby on a bench at the back of his flat after nipping out with a pal.

He has been inundated with calls since discovering the child.

He said: “I’ve had lots and lots of people getting in touch to find out what happened and to say it was just as well we were there to find her.

“It’s great to hear the baby is doing well. I just hope that the mother is OK.”