Hundreds of strangers arrive at funeral to pay their respects to the baby boy with no name

The coffin of an unidentified baby boy sits at his graveside (Picture:PA Wire)

Hundreds of mourners have paid tribute to a baby boy with no name and no clues to his identity.
The abandoned child – simply known as ‘Little Baby Boy’ – was found dead on a footpath and wrapped in blankets by a dog walker almost two years ago in the Seafield area of Edinburgh.
After police failed to find his family, community leaders sent out an appeal for strangers to attend the little boy’s funeral to make sure he was not buried alone.
The response was overwhelming and today more than 250 people turned out at Seafield Crematorium to pay their respects to the child, thought to have been around six-weeks-old.

(Picture:PA Wire)

(Picture:PA Wire)

Mourners placed floral tributes and soft toys before a white coffin, which was carried through the grounds of the cemetery to the sound of a single piper playing Amazing Grace.
The service was conducted by Reverend Erica Wishart, a minister from Tranent Parish Church.

The remains of the child were found wrapped in a blanket on an old railway path in the Seafield area of Edinburgh in July 2013 (Picture:PA Wire)

Minister Erica Wishart (left) from Tranent Parish church as the coffin is piped to the graveside for the funeral of the unidentified baby boy (Picture:PA Wire)

She said: ‘Something like this touches everybody’s hearts, in particularly when it is a child or a baby. It’s one of these things that affects everybody.
‘This is a great community, Leith is a strong community and I know people were very moved when this first happened a couple of years ago and I’m sure that everybody wanted to come and pay their respects.
‘It has been like a wave of compassion from everyone.
‘We had people here from other faiths so this has cut across all sections of the community.
‘I think it is wonderful the support people have shown today and giving freely of their time and resources.’