Hayley Grimes, 42 (pictured with granddaughter Roxanne) found Baby Peter's body in Norfolk in 1988 and was accused of being his mother . The girl who found a baby's body floating in a village pond in 1988 says she can no longer be 'blamed' for dumping the boy, after his mother was arrested over the child's death 27 years later. Hayley Grimes, 42, was just a teenager when she found the body of Baby Peter wrapped in a blanket and Sainsbury's bag in Weasenham St Peter, Norfolk. Yesterday, it emerged that the boy's mother had been arrested nearly three decades on, after police used DNA profiling techniques to trace back to his family. The mother, who has not been named, told officers she had put the body into the lake, known locally as Windmill Pit, after going through the trauma of a stillbirth. But Ms Grimes told today how she had been left scarred by the discovery after being accused by locals of being the child's mother. She also said it was 'unthinkable' that the baby had not been given a proper burial. Ms Grimes, a mother of two, said: 'At the time a lot of people thought it could have been me who left the baby and then pretended to find it. 'I think it was because I was so desperate to get it a proper grave. 'The image of that baby has definitely stayed with me all my life and I still feel quite angry about the whole thing. 'I think what she has done is horrible if the baby was dead or alive. 'But I am glad that the have finally found his mother. The very least it means nobody can blame me anymore.' Ms Grimes found the baby while she was playing at the pit, a common place for local children to play, with friends. Speaking about what happened, she said: 'We were just up there as kids. We used to go fishing up there and now and then I would go up there to read a book. 'I thought it must have been an animal or something. My partner at the time helped get it out the water and we cut it open. 'To me it looked like a normal baby wrapped in a blanket but I didn't want to look at it. My partner at the time said it didn't have much of a face because of the decomposition.' Unsolved case: A police officer searches Windmill Pit, the Norfolk pond where the baby boy's body was found back in 1988 . During the original investigation, police had been unable to identify the mother. Villagers then carried out a collection to raise money to pay for the baby's burial at St Peter's Church in the village. But after the case came up for a periodical review, police exhumed the boy's body from his grave. DNA taken from his leg bone was then put through the national police database which found a match for a possible relative of one of the parents. Detectives examined that person's family tree and identified the woman who admitted being the boy's mother. She was then was arrested on suspicion of infanticide. But the charge was dropped after she told police that she had concealed the pregnancy from her family and friends and later had a stillbirth. The boy's body was exhumed by officers as part of a case review, with DNA samples leading police to the boy's mother. He has now been reburied at Weasenham St Peter church, Norfolk . Police have now ruled out any foul play. The woman remains on bail while the CPS decide whether to charge her with failing to register a birth and preventing a lawful burial. Ms Grimes's mother Jackie Elson, 60, also  remembers how her daughter was affected by the discovery. She said: 'A lot of people pointed the finger at Hayley. They even blamed my husband as he was up there fishing a lot of the time. 'The head of CID would always be round here seeing if he could ask Hayley one more question to see if she could remember anything.' She added: 'It is a relief that the case is being closed but I'm still not sure if justice has been done. 'I do feel sorry for the woman because she must have been in a state.' Ms Grimes's cousin Emma Enifer, 39, added: 'It was where all the children used to fish and it is horrible to think that happened there. The boy was originally buried without a name but  a support group for parents of stillborn children raised the money for a new headstone giving his name as Peter after the name of the church . 'I am surprised that it took this long and that they did not carry out the DNA tests earlier than they did. 'The police interviewed all the young girls and women in the area. The pit is quite a secluded spot and I think you would have to be local to the area find it.' After his exhumation, the baby boy was re-buried in the St Peter's church yard. It took place on June 5 last year - the 26th anniversary of his discovery. A report in the Eastern Daily Press from 1988 tells how the body was found floating on the pond . The grave of the baby was originally marked by a simple wooden cross, which read: 'In loving memory of unknown baby boy. Born and died 1988.' But a support group called Hana's Gift, which works with families who have suffered a stillbirth, later paid for a new headstone giving his name as Peter, after the name of the church. The inscription now reads: 'In loving memory of baby Peter, June 1988. A sweet little child, lost but then found, to bloom and grow in Heaven's playground. There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on the world.' Meanwhile, other villagers recalled how the mystery had affected the community. Hildergard Michalak, 87, who has lived in the area for more than 60 years, said: 'I remember the police going round every house in the area but of course nobody could help. Nobody knew who it was. 'It was a shock as you didn't think anything like that could happen so close to you. 'I guess there is a sense of relief that it has come to an end and that it wasn't more sinister.' Her son Mick, 64, said nobody knew who the mother of the child was but he thought the parents could have lived at the nearby RAF base at Raynham. He said: 'Its a bit of a shock but I'm glad the mother has been found. I hadn't a clue who she was. 'The camp at Raynham was open at the time but that has been closed now. I always thought it could have been somebody who sneaked the camp there. 'I generally think incidents like this should be punished. If they don't then it could suggest to somebody else in that position that it is OK.' One mother who has lived in the village most of her life said her two daughters were also treated like suspects after police came to her home to interview them. The 65-year-old, who did not want to be named, said: 'She must have been a very young girl who was quite naïve at the time. 'My two daughters are now in their 40s but they were both treated like suspects and it was very upsetting for them and me. Tranquil: The pond in the village of Weasenham St Peter, Norfolk, as it is today . 'They said it must have been somebody local as the pond is not easy to find if you don't know the area.' She added: 'The woman has done her time already and will have to live with what she has done in her head. I think it should be left at that.' Det Insp Andy Guy, of Norfolk Police who led the investigation said the DNA was compared to five million samples on the national database. He said police were now satisfied that nobody else had been involved at the time. He said: 'The pregnancy was concealed from everybody. She didn't tell her family, her close friends, she gave birth in secret. The baby was stillborn.' He added that the small team of officers involved in the case had 'mixed feelings' after bringing the investigation to a final close. He said: 'From a police officer's perspective, it's fantastic. From a human perspective you can only have empathy for the woman and imagine how terrible it was for her.' A police spokesman said: 'In this case it was not clear how the baby died despite a post mortem examination and the circumstances surrounding the death remained the focus of the investigation. 'Thanks to advances in DNA we were able to trace the mother of the baby and during interview the woman revealed she had concealed her pregnancy from family and friends and delivered the baby by herself. 'Sadly the baby was delivered stillborn and we are satisfied there was no third party involvement or foul play.' Karen Murray-Tye who set up Hana's gift charity after her daughter was stillborn in 2006, has since appealed for the mother to come forward if she is in need of support. She said: 'It was quite hard to find the right words, but I thought the 'lost but found' fitted the circumstances. 'I hope she sees we've tried to do the best for him as we have for Hana. It would be lovely if it made her think she could have some support if she came forward.' Norfolk coroner's chaplain Chris Copsey said: 'When the coffin was exhumed all that was left was a little plaque that said 'unnamed baby boy'. 'It seemed terrible to bury an unnamed baby boy so I took the name of the church, St Peter's church.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
Hayley Grimes, 42, found Baby Peter's body in Weasenham St Peter in 1988 .
Locals thought she was responsible because she wanted to give baby a proper grave, she says .
Mother-of-two said: 'It was a shock. I still feel  angry about the whole thing'
His body was exhumed last year for review which led officers to the mother .
Infanticide charges dropped but charges may be brought for preventing lawful burial .