The mother of twins abandoned in a hospital car park last December has been found and cautioned by police, it was revealed yesterday.
The twins, named Holly and Joseph by nurses, were left in the car park of Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham on December 6.
Police appeals for the mother to come forward in the days that followed came to nothing, but West Midlands Police have now revealed they have finally managed to trace her.
A 44-year-old woman from the Birmingham area was cautioned on Wednesday after DNA analysis proved she was the mother, police said.
The woman also fully admitted abandoning the babies in the hospital car park and no one else was involved in her decision to leave them there, they added.
A man, believed to be the father, has also been spoken to by officers, but enquiries have shown him to be unconnected to the abandonment.
West Midlands Police now regard the case as being concluded and will not be releasing any further information as a result of its sensitivity.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Throughout the investigation, the interest of the children involved has been the priority and this remains so.
"The decision for not disclosing further details has been made for this reason.
A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said: "The twins are happy and healthy and have been subject to court proceedings.
"The local authority has made permanency plans for them to be placed together. Therefore we cannot give any more details as further publicity is not in their best interest."
Holly and Joseph, named because of their birth being near to Christmas, were discovered by a security guard after being left in a cardboard box in the hospital car park.
The twins had been wrapped in a blue sleeping bag and placed in the box, which was covered in cartoon pictures.
They survived near-freezing temperatures before they were found and had to be put in incubators because they were so cold.
Doctors appealed for their mother to come forward, fearing she might have been suffering from an infection, but the twins remained unclaimed throughout the festive season.
They were separated for the first time over Christmas when Joseph was placed with foster parents while Holly remained in hospital with a chest infection, but were reunited later.
Because the mystery of their mother's identity has finally been solved, it is now hoped that they will be placed together permanently.
