A COUPLE who had their child taken from them and then adopted after being wrongly accused of abuse was told yesterday they are “likely never to see their baby again.”

Despite being found not guilty of child cruelty and neglect on Wednesday, Karissa Cox and Richard Carter were told by their lawyer Michael Turner that the chances of regaining custody of their child were slim.

Over three years ago, the first-time parents from Guildford, Surrey took their six-weeks-old to The Royal Surrey County Hospital as the child was bleeding from the mouth.

The hospital called social services after noticing bruises on the baby’s body.

It was later discovered the child suffered from common blood disorder Von Willebrand II which causes easy bruising, Vitamin D deficiency and rickets in infants.

After their acquittal, Ms Cox and Mr Carter vowed to fight for the return of their baby saying: “We took our child to the hospital seeking help and they stole our baby from us.”

Mr Turner, of Garden Court Chambers, added: “These innocent parents have been spared a criminal conviction and a prison sentence for a crime they never committed.

“Their life sentence is that they are likely never to see their baby again.”

The hospital did not apologise for the tragic blunder.

In a statement, a spokesman for The Royal Surrey County Hospital said: “The Surrey Safeguarding Children’s Board has recently strengthened their position on this with the introduction of a protocol on bruising.

“Full assessments were undertaken by senior doctors in paediatrics and radiology.

“Based on these assessments a referral was made to Children’s Social Care.

“No decision about a child’s wellbeing is based on a single agency opinion.”