Body found in pond in search for missing three-year-old boy Noah Woods from Suffolk

A body has been found in the search for three-year-old Noah Woods who vanished after a visit to a Suffolk village playground.

Several hundred volunteers as well as teams from the police, fire, coastguard and search and rescue had joined the desperate hunt for the toddler, who ran down an alleyway in Brantham on Tuesday afternoon and disappeared.

In an update on Wednesday, Superintendent Tom Pearse from Suffolk Police said that the body of a child had been discovered in a nearby pond and that Noah’s family had been told.

“First and foremost, our thoughts are with Noah’s family and all those who knew him,” he told journalists at Brantham Leisure Centre.

He added: “We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support, people putting on their boots and helping us search.

“As a parent myself, I completely understand why people would want to help and such a response is one that typifies the strong sense of community and the heart-warming nature of Suffolk people that make the county such a special place. I am sure you appreciate the family now need time, space and privacy and I thank you for your understanding in this.”

A spokesperson for Suffolk Constabulary said: “Police dive teams this afternoon have sadly recovered the body of a child from Decoy Pond in Brantham.

“Formal identification has yet to take place but the family of Noah Woods have been informed of this development. The discovery of the body is currently being treated as not suspicious but unexplained. The coroner will be informed of this development.

“Officers have carried out multiple enquiries, including the deployment of specialist search officers and dog units and received support from various agencies with around 1,300 members of the public also supporting the search.”