A foster carer, chosen to take care of a baby dumped in a skip in Leicester this week, has sent a message of support to his mother.

Carole and her family have been asked by Leicester social services to give baby Joe the loving care he needs.

She said: "No-one knows why this has happened, but I sympathise with Joe's mum and I hope she is able to get help and come forward for him. In the meantime, Joe will get all the love and attention we can give him and he will be spoiled.

Joe - rescued minutes from death

"It is not the love of a biological mother, but we try to fill the gap. The family were asked to look after Joe on Wednesday.

"I saw him on the television. He's a sweetheart. My husband is off work next week, so we will go out shopping for baby things."

On Tuesday night, the 5lb baby, named Joe by hospital staff, was found in a skip off East Park Road, Leicester. He is believed to be around four weeks premature.

He was less than 48 hours old and would have died within minutes if he had not been discovered by a couple dumping rubbish.

Experienced foster mum Carole, who has looked after more than 200 youngsters, was due to spend a few hours with him yesterday before beginning preparations to bring him home.

He was initially in intensive care, suffering from the effects of cold, but is now in a children's ward at Leicester Royal Infirmary, where he was said to be "fine and feeding well."

Police released photographs of the clothes in which baby Joe, who is Asian, was found. They are a white woolly hat and plain white baby suit with popper fastenings and a white blanket.

Officers are hoping someone might remember selling the items in a shop or seeing the baby dressed in them.

On Wednesday night, police spoke to more than 300 people in the area where the baby was found, but no major new leads came to light.

The street is lined by factories which close at around 5pm. The skip had been there since Tuesday morning, but the child is not thought to have been there for long before he was discovered.

Detectives have also released details of people seen in the area who might be able to help.

They want to trace the driver of a white saloon car with a spoiler which was seen driving around the Leicester Street area and may have dropped off a male passenger at 9pm on Tuesday night.

They also want to speak to a group of about five or six teenage Asian boys and girls who were playing on a car park opposite the one which housed the skip on Tuesday evening.

Inspector Neil Canham, said: "We need to speak to these people."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0116 222 2222.

Used courtesy of the Leicester Mercury