A baby whose body was found last week on the edge of a snow-covered field in Salford was a newborn girl, police have said.

Greater Manchester police (GMP) said the girl had now been named Ava and they renewed an appeal for the child’s mother, family or anyone with information to come forward.

The infant’s remains were discovered on Wednesday 20 November by a woman walking her dog near a popular park for walkers and cyclists. A spokesperson for GMP said that after a postmortem examination the baby’s cause of death remained unascertained pending further pathological and forensic tests.

They said officers had conducted hours of house-to-house and CCTV inquiries and liaised with local and national partners to try to determine exactly what happened to Ava.

DCI Charlotte Whalley thanked the community for its support while the investigation was taking place. “We know that this case has touched the hearts of many people across Greater Manchester and like you we’re determined to find out what happened to this little girl,” she said.

“As part of our enquiries, we’re working to establish who Ava’s mum is, and all the possible scenarios and circumstances which have led to Ava being separated from her mum. We are continuing to appeal for her mum, who may require medical assistance, or her family to come forwards and speak to us.

“We believe that there is someone out there now who knows what happened. You may not have felt confident to come forward yet, but please know that we have trained officers ready to support you, no matter what the circumstances are, please get in touch.”

Addressing the wider community, she said: “We are now asking you to cast your minds back to previous months, perhaps you heard something or saw something that didn’t feel right. It may have seemed insignificant at the time, but knowing what you know now, come forward. It could be crucial to finding the truth for Ava.”

Tributes left by members of the public will be donated to children’s charities when the crime scene is closed this weekend, the force spokesperson said. Where the child was found in the field is close to a road layby near warehouses and not far from two junctions of the M61 motorway, north-west of Manchester.

Last week, police said the baby was wrapped in a pink fabric and detectives were working with soil experts, archaeologists and anthropologists to try to establish how long the body had been there before it was found.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24 or share information online at mipp.police.uk/operation/06GMP24S90-PO1. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.