Newborn baby found in shopping bag in London in freezing temperatures

LONDON - A newborn baby girl is in hospital after being found in sub-zero temperatures wrapped in a towel in a shopping bag on a London street, British police said on Friday.

The baby was found by a person walking their dog in Newham, east London, just after 2100 GMT on Thursday, London's Metropolitan Police said. Police later said the girl was believed to be less than an hour old when she was found.

According to the national weather service, it was minus 3 degrees Celsius (26.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in London on Thursday evening.

"That person kept the baby girl warm until London Ambulance Service paramedics arrived and checked her over before taking her to hospital," Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, who leads policing in Newham, said in a statement.

"I am delighted to report that she wasn’t injured in any way and is safe and well in the care of hospital staff."

Crick said the girl had been given the temporary name of Elsa, and she was believed to be Black or mixed race. The police said they were concerned for the welfare of the baby's mother and appealed for her to get in touch. —Reuters