The materials recycling facility in Fourth Drove, Fengate, was shut down on Wednesday morning after a worker made the grim find among household waste.

Detectives from Cambridgeshire police have now finished their investigations at the site, and it returned to normal operations yesterday afternoon.

Viridor Waste Management, which runs the facility for Peterborough City Council, has arranged counselling for staff who were on duty when the discovery was made.

West Mercia police have, meanwhile, taken over the investigation, after it was revealed the baby's body may have arrived at the plant after being dumped in the Worcestershire area.

Detective Inspector Adrian Todd, who is leading the inquiry, said officers were working on the theory that the body reached Peterborough via a waste sorting plant in Bromsgrove, West Midlands, having been collected from recycling bins in Worcester.

He added: "Just because the body was taken in a collection from Worcester does not necessarily mean it originated from the city, so we are keeping an open mind as to where it was born and where it was placed in the waste system."