dpPolice 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 said five search teams “this afternoon have sadly found a body of a child in Decoy Pond in Brantham”.
“Formal identification is yet to take place. The family of Noah Woods has been informed of these developments,” he said.
“The discovery of the body is currently being treated as not suspicious but unexplained. The coroner will be informed of this development.”
Pearse said Noah’s family now needed “time, space and privacy”.
“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support and people putting on their boots to help us with this search,” he said.
“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.”
Earlier in the search, officers from Suffolk constabulary said Noah, who is 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.
He 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.”
