Mother pleads for baby's return

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The mother of a baby unlawfully taken from her shortly after birth says she wants her child back permanently.

Social services officials in Nottingham removed the child from his mother in January, but returned him when a judge ruled they did not have a court order.

An order was granted the next day to put the baby into foster care and the 18-year-old mother, known as "G", has had limited contact since.

Nottingham City Council said a full review of the case would take place.

It's unfair, I'm a good mother and it's also unfair for a father to lose contact with his child Baby K's mother

Speaking to BBC East Midlands Today, G said she was shocked to find her baby, known as "K", had been taken.

"I went outside at half past four [am] for a fag and stood outside for about half-an-hour. I went back in and K was gone.

"I wondered where he'd gone and who took him. I was shocked."

Hospital staff were apparently shown a "birth plan" prepared by local authority social services.

It said the mother, who had a troubled childhood and suffered from mental health problems, was to be separated from the child and no contact allowed without supervision by social workers.

But at a High Court hearing in January, Mr Justice Munby said the removal of a child could only be lawful if a police constable was taking action to protect a child, or there was a court order in place and ruled the removal was unlawful.

Mental health issues

G has denied suffering from any mental health problems, and said: "I have had two psychiatric reports done for court proceedings that I was under...and they said I had emotional needs, I don't know where that's come in as mental health issues.

"It's unfair, I'm a good mother and it's also unfair for a father to lose contact with his child."

At a further court hearing in March, it was ruled that G should currently have no contact with her baby for reasons that cannot be reported because of legal restrictions.

In a statement, Nottingham City Council said: "The council has referred this case to the Nottingham Safeguarding Children Board who are conducting a full review of all the circumstances surrounding G and baby K.

"When the review is completed, we shall make sure all processes and procedures comply with any recommendations the board makes."