Newborn’s skeletal remains were found wrapped in newspaper under floorboards

The grim discovery was made by a man doing refurbishments at the property (Picture: PA)

A baby boy whose skeletal remains were found wrapped in newspaper dating back to 1910 and with twine around his neck may have been a newborn, an inquest heard.

A contractor working at a property in Fore Bondgate, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, made the grim discovery under floorboards in July 2024, and a police inquiry was launched.

At an inquest opening in Crook, County Durham, senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield was told that a postmortem examination could not find the cause of death.

DNA was unable to identify who the infant was, but did reveal that the baby was a boy.

The remains were wrapped in a newspaper called The Umpire and dated June 19, 1910, the inquest was told.

The baby is believed to have been full term (Picture: PA)

A forensic anthropologist assisted with the inquiries, and it was believed the skeleton was that of a full-term baby of about 40 weeks’ development.

It was not possible to say whether the baby was stillborn, but Mr Chipperfield did point out that twine was found looped three times around his neck.

One type of radio-carbon dating revealed that the baby was born before the first atomic bomb tests in New Mexico on June 16, 1945, the inquest heard.

Adding to the mystery, another type of radiocarbon dating indicated a range of possible dates that the baby lived between 1726 and 1812.

The inquest was told that police, Durham County Council and a local funeral director have arranged a funeral which will take place on April 27 in Bishop Auckland.

Mr Chipperfield released the remains to be buried and adjourned the inquest to be resumed on May 18 at 3 pm.

Investigators have been working to find the baby’s cause of death (Picture: PA)

Dad-of-six David Dent discovered the skeletal remains of the newborn wrapped in a newspaper dating back to 1910 while carrying out refurbishment work on an upstairs flat in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, last July.

David, from Newton Aycliffe, said he was in shock when he unwrapped the remains after lifting up the floorboards with a colleague, and remains shaken by the incident.

He told the Sun: ‘I was standing with a length of 4×2, popping these floorboards up, and we found a ball of newspaper. All I could see was a ribcage… We picked it up, and the first thing my mate said was “Urgh, what’s that there?” I thought it must be a big pigeon. 

‘When I got hold of it, I looked at it, and for some reason I pulled the paper off it, and I’ve seen a little skull. When I saw that, I was in a bit of shock. I half placed it, half dropped it on the floor. I noticed a little arm and a hand that fell off it.’

David said he was shocked by the size of the newborn, which was the same size as his own daughter Bella, and Facetimed his wife for advice.

She spotted the lengths of twine around the baby’s neck and told him to call the police, who soon arrived to confirm the discovery.

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