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5 hours ago
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Police searching for a three-year-old boy who went missing from a playground on the Suffolk-Essex border have found a body.
Noah Woods was last seen at 3pm on Tuesday in Merriam Close, Brantham, near Manningtree, before becoming separated from a relative.
The body was found in Decoy Pond in the village.
In a statement, Supt Tom Pearse, from Suffolk constabulary, said: “Police and fire teams this afternoon 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. Since Noah was reported as missing, officers have carried out multiple inquiries, including the deployment of special search officers and dog units, and received support from various agencies, including helicopters from the National Police Air Service and HM Coastguard.
“Additional assistance on the ground has been provided by HM Coastguard, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue and over 1,300 members of the public supporting the search.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with Noah’s family and all those who know them. Since Noah was reported missing, vast numbers of our officers and staff have been deployed in numerous functions in the search for Noah, and the support for his family.
“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support and people putting on their boots to help us with the 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 heartwarming nature of Suffolk people that make the county such a special place.
“I’m sure you appreciate that the family now need time, space and privacy, and I thank you for your understanding of this.”
Earlier in the search, officers from Suffolk constabulary said Noah, who was autistic and non-verbal with partial hearing loss, was reported to have run down an alley near a playground towards a housing estate.
Searches of Decoy Pond started earlier on Wednesday after it was cordoned off by police tape.
A massive search operation had been under way in and around the village since Noah’s disappearance, supported by hundreds of volunteers.
Volunteers wept in a garden area at Brantham Leisure Centre as Pearse updated them. “You will have heard the news,” he said. “First and foremost our thoughts are with Noah’s family and all those who knew him.”
He said that the agencies involved in the search, and Noah’s family, “have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support, people putting on their boots and helping us with the search and that, ladies and gentlemen, is yourselves”.
The officer’s voice cracked with emotion at times as he addressed the crowd of volunteers.
Noah went missing after a visit to a play area where he became separated from a relative. Police had said Noah would not respond to his name if called.
Earlier on Wednesday, Pearse said there was no indication anything sinister had happened.
Volunteers could be seen in hi-vis jackets helping to search the area, with efforts being coordinated from the village hall and a leisure centre.
Police, fire, coastguard and search and rescue teams, with sniffer dogs and a helicopter, were all deployed.
As well as the ground search, officers scoured CCTV and other available video footage, going door to door and carrying out aerial and thermal imaging searches.
Earlier, Noah’s father posted on social media asking volunteers to widen their search beyond the village where possible.
He wrote: “I cannot go another night knowing he’s out there alone, please don’t give up on him guys. He is out there somewhere and I appreciate every single one of you.”
