A regional daily has succeeded in its 14 month-long fight to name a dead baby at the heart of a police investigation.

Carlisle title the News & Star had been pressing for the disclosure from Cumbria Police since September 2013, with the force refusing on the grounds it would lead to the identification of a couple under investigation in relation to the five-week-old baby’s death.

However this week David Roberts, senior coroner for Cumbria, pictured left, finally revealed to the News & Star that an inquest had been opened into the death of the child – named as Kye Levi Beattie Kerr – shortly after he had passed away in July 2011.

The paper covered the story on its front page yesterday.

Up until now, Cumbrian Police has rejected calls for further information surrounding Kye’s death from the CN Group-owned title – including the identity of the dead child, where the baby died, the cause of death, and what the couple have been arrested on suspicion of.

Its only statement to the paper on the matter, made in 2013, reads: “A 33-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, both from Carlisle, who were arrested in connection with the death are on bail whilst the investigation continues to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.”

A Freedom of Information request submitted by the News & Star last year had been rejected by the force, again on the basis it would identify the child’s parents.

Mr Roberts told the News & Star: “The facts, including the cause of death, will be determined at the final inquest hearing. No final date has been set as I am awaiting completion of police inquiries.”

The News & Star has declined to comment further on the story pending further discussions on the matter with Cumbria Police.

The case has now been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, echoing a similar case elsewhere in Cumbria.

In October the News & Star revealed that the death of a 13-month girl must remain a mystery, nearly two years after she died.

A 46-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were arrested in Connection with Poppi Iris Worthington’s death in December 2012 and are still on conditional police bail. They have yet to be charged with any offence.