Police searching for the mother of a baby found dead in a Pudsey skip are stepping up their appeal for her relatives or friends to contact them.

Despite extensive media coverage and renewed police appeals, the mother of the stillborn baby boy has not been traced, three weeks after his death.

Police now believe his mother will not be found unless relatives come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Michael Field, who is leading the investigation, said: "Relatives, friends or family who were aware of her pregnancy will notice there is no baby. He was quite a large baby and she would've been showing quite a lot, so I don't think relatives wouldn't have noticed she was pregnant."

The tragic tot - who was thought to be only a few hours old and weighed 7lbs - was found in the council tip at Grangefield Industrial Estate along with a cot and a crumpled list of baby names.

Police believe the woman delivered the baby herself.

A passer-by discovered the dead infant wrapped in a salmon-coloured towel and with blankets close by.

Police examined tapes of CCTV footage from the site, but were unable to obtain further information.

"We've had a good response from the public but unfortunately none of the leads have led us to mum," said Det Ch Insp Field.

"We now know she is not going to contact us herself."

He said he still believed the woman was from the local area because the tip was not very well signed and the person must have known the opening times.

"This person would have to have had a lot of local knowledge - this place is not somewhere you just drive past."

He added: "We are obviously still concerned about the welfare of the mother but she has probably now received the urgent medical attention she required. It is her psychological welfare we are concerned about now."

He insisted they wanted to help the woman, not pillory her. Anyone with information should call Pudsey police on 0113 241 4859.