A BABY is dead after being taken to the Horton Hospital with injuries and two people have been arrested.

This is a matter of significant public interest but in yet another demonstration of its contempt for the public it “serves”, Thames Valley Police is refusing to let you know any more details.

The Oxford Mail accepts this is an active investigation that must be carried out thoroughly and professionally to arrive at the correct conclusion.

We would expect no less.

But there are legitimate facts you deserve to know because you have a right to know what is happening in your community.

What is the sex of the baby?

How old is he or she and where did he or she live?

And, most importantly, is this now a murder inquiry? But the police are refusing to tell you.

We don’t know the reasons but on past form it could be assumed that since they have made two arrests they feel they don’t need any help from the public so they can be safely ignored.

It is a scandalous outlook that again smacks of arrogance and incompetence.

This is the police force that did not tell the public about a murder for 27 hours (again a suspect had been arrested early on), closed the Oxford Canal without informing anyone and we revealed only released information for about one in 1,000 crimes it is told about.

There has even been a former member of its own staff complaining that he played detective and tricked the toerag who stole his bike into meeting him on the pretence of buying it back but officers couldn’t be bothered to turn up and make an arrest.

There is something rotten at the core of our police force’s attitude to the public that needs addressing.