Hundreds of STRANGERS turn out for funeral of the baby with no name: Tears as mystery child who was found dead on railway track is buried at packed service after police fail to trace his family

         

Hundreds of mourners today attended the funeral of an unidentified baby boy whose body was found wrapped in a blanket on an Edinburgh railway track almost two years ago.

Local residents and community leaders gathered at Seafield Cemetery, Edinburgh, this morning following an appeal by police, who feared that the no one would attend the service after police failed to identify the baby's family.

The congregation of strangers bowed their heads in respect as the tiny white coffin was carried through the cemetery, accompanied by the moving sound of a single piper playing Amazing Grace.

Dozens wept as the minister delivered a moving sermon about the infant, simply named in his death notice as 'Little Baby Boy', before laying balloons, flowers and soft animals on the site where he was finally laid to rest.

Today's service was held just metres away from where the newborn's body was discovered by a dog walker in July 2013.

At the time, officers revealed that the body may have been left on the disused railway path up to a month before it was found. 

Detectives launched a major investigation, searching extensive areas of nearby parkland, but have yet to uncover any information about the infant's mother or family.

Tests on the baby showed that he was up to six weeks old and detectives believed he had been healthy and well fed.

Police Scotland published a death notice in the Scotsman newspaper, inviting people to attend the funeral for the 'unknown little baby boy'.

It read: 'With deep sadness, the little baby boy who was found wrapped in his blanket on the walkway/cycle path at Restalrig, Seafield, Edinburgh, will be laid to rest at Seafield Cemetery on Friday, May 1, 2015 at 10am, to which all will be warmly invited to come along and pay their final respects to this little baby boy.'

The sombre message quickly went viral, with community leaders encouraging people to attend.

                
                
                
Support: A group of bikers were among those who attended the funeral, where the minister reflected on the child's unexplained death