DETECTIVES trying to trace the mother of abandoned baby Oliver say they have suffered a setback.

Oliver was discovered outside a Newport home two months ago, and despite a huge appeal to find his mother, including an Argus-led poster campaign, she has not been traced.

Police cannot even be certain that she is local. Now they admit their job has been made even more difficult since doctors re-evaluated Oliver's age and declared him younger than originally believed.

When found baby Oliver was thought to be 12 weeks old. This was later changed to 18-21 weeks, but the original figure is now thought to be more likely.

Detective Inspector Nick Jarrett, who is leading the investigation, said: "Yes, it's a setback and it has forced us to investigate many more births. We now have many more lines of inquiry."

Last month, 55 boys out of 215 born in Newport between August 1 and October 31 last year had been eliminated from the inquiry, but now many more births need to be checked.

DI Jarrett and the four-strong investigating team remain hopeful. He said: "It was never going to be a short job once the first appeals failed."

At around 9pm on Sunday, January 20, police were called to the home of Sarah and Darren Langley in Colling-wood Crescent, Somerton, Newport, after they found the abandoned tot.

The officers, who named him Oliver, took him to the Royal Gwent Hospital. Mrs Langley found well-wrapped Oliver in a blue push-chair with two bottles of milk and four nappies.

Police believe he had been on his own for less than ten minutes. Despite a high-profile campaign to find the baby's mum, there was no news about the boy's parents.

DI Nick Jarrett told the Argus: "After the parents have failed to come forward it becomes an elimination process."

The biggest clue to Oliver's real identity was the blue and orange-checked pushchair he was found in. Hundreds of chairs across the UK, including locally-bought chairs, have been eliminated from the inquiry.

The appeal will not go nationwide until officers are certain Oliver's mother is not local. Anyone with any information is asked to call Newport Central police station on (01633) 244999.