Officers have delayed interviewing the girl formally at the request of social services, who wanted to ensure she recovered from the birth, in the bathroom of her home at Rotherham, South Yorkshire. She was unaware she was pregnant.

Police have refused to comment on reports that the girl has already revealed the name of the man she says is the baby's father. The man is understood to have denied the claims.

Police hamstrung

South Yorkshire police spokesman Jim Greensmith, said: "A man has come to us in connection with the allegations, but we cannot interview him because we haven't interviewed the girl to get a formal complaint.

"We can listen to what he says, but cannot do a formal interview."

The girl and child have been at Rotherham District General Hospital since the birth last Thursday.

Rotherham has one of Britain's highest incidences of teenage pregnancy and only last week its health authority announced that more cash was being provided to tackle the problem.

In some parts of the town, one in six pregnancies involve girls under the age of 19.