HIS birth was a secret, his tiny body bundled into a bag and hidden at a Gwent canal by a desperate mother.

And now, in a tragic final twist, the final resting place of a stillborn baby boy, found in Newbridge in October, will be a secret as well - with no headstone or flowers to mark his grave.

Despite repeated appeals by police, the infant's mother has never come forward.

Her silence means the baby boy will receive a pauper's burial; Caerphilly county borough council will have responsibility for the funeral, and his grave will be unmarked by any headstone.

After the burial, even if the baby's mother does come forward, no marker can be erected on his grave.

For without documents registering his birth and death, the only way of proving a family link would be by exhuming the body for further tests and the red tape surrounding such procedures makes that an unlikely possibility.

Police are still carrying out inquiries with the health authorities and schools but say their next step will be to provide a report for the coroner.

If the coroner is satisfied that police have carried out the appropriate inquiries then he will open the inquest and release the baby to the local authority for burial.

Now police are making a new appeal hoping the mother may be thinking of her son at such a special time of year.

Detective Inspector Rhiannon Hodges, pictured, told the Argus: "It is still not too late for the mother to come forward, our main concern is to find out what happened.

"We are appealing for people to do the right thing and let us know. It's not only from the point of view of the police investigation but also for the mother so we can point her in the right direction for any help which she needs.

"People need to not only think about this child but if the mother has any other children in the future. They should ask themselves how they can be sure this will not happen again."

She stressed once more that the mother was not in trouble and it was "extremely unlikely" she would face any criminal charges relating to the disposal of her baby's body.

The body was found on October 11 by the banks of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. A post mortem examination later indicated that the infant, who weighed five-and- a-half pounds and was inside a green holdall, was stillborn.

The mother can contact DI Hodges in confidence on 01633 612391.