A HEALTH worker who once found an abandoned baby in a plastic bag at her workplace has said farewell to her colleagues.

Lorraine Bracken, who discovered the newborn tot in the foyer of Great Harwood Health Centre more than five years ago, has left the Water Street surgery.

Mrs Bracken has been promoted to central loan store manager at Park Lee Hospital after spending eight years as the health centre's administrator.

A former Lancashire Evening Telegraph tele-sales employee, Mrs Bracken has worked in the health service since 1976.

She has also gained an honours degree in business studies at Blackburn College.

She still has vivid memories of the time she found the helpless baby boy wrapped up in towels and placed in a River Island carrier bag at the centre.

Mrs Bracken, who lives in Salesbury, said: "Someone had dumped this bag at the entrance and I picked it up.

"It was a little heavier than I thought it would be. Then a little head popped out. The baby was named Harry, after Great Harwood, but as far as I know his mother was never found and he went into care."

Mrs Bracken, who is 51, married to Jeff and has three grown-up children, is looking forward to her newly-created role at Park Lea. She said: "It's like an internal promotion, because I'll still be working for Communicare."

Staff at the centre held a farewell party for Mrs Bracken, who added: "There's a real team spirit here. I'll miss it."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.