Walthamstow London: Police hunt for woman with newborn baby after she gave birth in tunnel - officers 'extremely concerned'
A woman has gone missing after giving birth to a baby in an underpass and being picked up in a van in north east London.
A passerby said she heard ‘sounds of distress’ coming from the Billet Road underpass, Walthamstow, at 8am yesterday. She discovered the woman was in labour and helped her deliver the baby, staying with her until 4pm.
The mum and her newborn were then picked up by two people in a blue transit van and has not been seen since. The police are now hunting for the woman and the newborn baby.
She is believed to go by the name Anne Marie and is a rough sleeper, and was wearing a black dress and a heavy jumper. PC Dan Cooper from the Metropolitan Police said: “Our top priority is to establish that the woman and her baby are safe and well and have access to any medical treatment they may need.
“I would like to stress that the woman is not in any trouble, our only concern is the wellbeing of her and her newborn child. We are carrying out fast-paced enquiries, including trawling CCTV, speaking to people in the area and visiting nearby hospitals.
“I’d also like to appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have seen or heard something to come forward. Were you walking or cycling through the underpass or at the nearby Kwik Fit garage? If so, please get in touch with us. If the woman does not feel comfortable speaking to us, she can go directly to a medical centre or a charity.”
The Met Police said: “The woman is believed to be rough sleeping, white, in her mid-30s, with long blonde hair. She was wearing a black dress and heavy jumper and is believed to go by the name Anne Marie. Officers are extremely concerned for the welfare of her and her baby.”