Police are excavating a back garden in Co Antrim after receiving an anonymous tip-off that a baby's body is buried there.
Specialist sniffer dogs are helping officers as they search under the patio area of the property in Ballyclare, east of Antrim town.
The operation at the rear of the terraced house on Hawthorn Way began yesterday and could last a number of days.
It is understood the incident is not linked to the current tenants of the building and the unknown caller claimed the infant‘s body has been there for some time.
A PSNI spokeswoman said: “It is our responsibility to determine the validity of this information by carrying out all appropriate inquiries. One strand of these inquiries is the excavation work currently taking place.
“However, a thorough and detailed investigation is taking place which will examine the full circumstances of the information received.
“Until this work has been carried out in full, we would ask people not to speculate about what may or may not have happened. As inquiries are at an early and sensitive stage, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”
PA