POLICE today revealed that they had unearthed a plastic bag containing 'religious literature' during the search for a baby's body in the canal.

And officers are not ruling out that the package could be what witnesses saw being thrown into the canal on Monday sparking off a massive four-day hunt.

Police frogmen were called in on Monday night when two people said they had seen an Asian woman throw a bundle into the murky water of the Leeds and Liverpool canal at Lower Audley Street, in Blackburn.

As the area was sealed off and the stretch of canal drained and searched other witnesses came forward to say they had seen an Asian lady, matching the description of the one on Monday, cradling rubbish before throwing it into the canal several times over the past few weeks.

The bag of literature, found yesterday at the same spot the package was seen to be hurled into the water, was said to contain handwritten verses from the Koran -- the holy book of Islam.

According to Islamic tradition copies of the Koran that are no longer required can only be disposed of by being buried, burned or thrown into water.

Detective Inspector Tim Jacques, of Blackburn CID, said the material, found wrapped in plastic bags, was still legible leading them to suggest it could not have been there long.