The mother of an abused baby boy, who died from a broken back, has denied playing a part in the "clean-up operation" to disguise his death, the Old Bailey heard on Friday.

The 17-month-old was found dead in his cot by his mother's live-in lover and their lodger on August 3, 2007.

The prosecution claims he suffered a catalogue of injuries including eight fractured ribs, serious bruising, a missing tooth and finger nails in the eight months leading to his death.

When paramedics arrived at the family's home in Haringey, the toddler, known as Baby P, was dressed only in a nappy and wrapped in a sheet. His baby-grow and bedding had been removed.

CCTV footage recovered by police showed the mother's boyfriend carrying a black bag which contained blood-stained baby clothes to Tottenham Cemetery.

A blood-soaked baby bib was also found behind Baby P's cot and another bag of clothes covered in his blood was found in the kitchen.

Earlier in the trial, the jury was shown diagrams indicating where traces of the toddler's blood had been found in his bedroom.

His mother, 27, her boyfriend, 32, and Jason Owen, 36, from Bromley, south-east London, deny murdering the infant.

In court, the baby's mother said "she did not have a clue" who had inflicted the injuries and that she had no idea why his bedding was missing.

She said that Baby P had been put to bed the night before and that she had checked on him regularly before going to bed herself at 1am.

But the next morning she was woken up by her partner and Mr Owen who said something was "seriously wrong" with the baby.

She told the jury she dialled 999 as she made her way to his room but stopped at the doorway where she saw the baby looking stiff and blue in his cot.

She said he was wrapped up in a sheet and it wasn't until later when she was instructed to perform CPR that she realised the missing clothes and bedding.

Sally O'Neill QC, prosecuting said: "So you agree there has been a clean-up operation.

"And that's important because it means that someone had done something very wrong and a clean-up was carried out to conceal from police what had happened that night."

The mother claimed she only learned her son had died from inflicted injuries, and not illness, a week later when she read a story covering his death on Teletext.

She told the court: "I thought someone had got it wrong, that it was rubbish. I still believed his death was medical."

She cried and whispered "He's so gorgeous" as she was shown video clips of her playing with the blonde-haired toddler in Chestnuts Park, St Ann's Road. At the start of the trial, the mother pleaded guilty to the charge of allowing the death of a child.

She told the court that the day before his death, she had noticed one of Baby P's teeth was missing.

She said she had no explanation and as she was on "cloud nine" — having learned child abuse charges against her had been dropped — she dismissed it.

An autopsy carried out after the baby's death revealed the tooth had been swallowed following a serious blow to his face. Part of his tongue was also missing, the court heard.

The mother pointed the finger at Mr Owen who she claimed had told her "she'd regret that decision" after giving him his marching orders on the same day.

But Mr Owen's lawyer, Tim Robbins QC, defending Mr Owen, pointed out that in December 2006, six months before he moved in, the mother had been arrested after doctors reported a suspicious injury found on Baby P's body.

Mr Robbins said: "In your jottings, you spoke about a new life and a new love and you hoped it would last.

"What was your priority? Was it looking after your child or your relationship?"

She said: "My child was my top priority. If I had known what was going on I would have gone to the police."

The trial continues.