A teenage girl who killed her newborn baby and left his body in her bedroom wardrobe for days has escaped a jail sentence.

The 16-year-old, from Oxfordshire, who collects her GCSE results today, was told by a judge that she needed help, not custody.

Oxford Crown Court heard that the girl told police that she was unaware of her pregnancy until she went to the toilet at her home earlier this year and began to give birth.

Joan Butler, prosecuting, said a relative of the defendant heard a short squeal and saw the girl leave the bathroom carrying a duvet.

Two days later another relative went into a wardrobe to fetch a spare duvet and discovered a cardboard box containing the dead baby.

He had survived for several hours. A pair of underpants was found wrapped around his neck.

Miss Butler told the court that the girl, who had only just turned 16 when she gave birth, said she went to bed after the boy was killed and forgot about him.

Sometime afterwards, the girl suffered a blackout, collapsed and was taken to hospital. Medics failed to recognise what had happened and said she was pregnant.

Yesterday, the girl pleaded guilty to a charge of infanticide, by compressing her baby's neck. No evidence was offered on a charge of murder.

Frances Oldham, defending, told the court that the girl, who wept throughout the hearing, was full of guilt and remorse.

Judge Anthony King sentenced the girl to two years' supervision.