Police searching for missing three-year-old Noah Woods have confirmed that the body of a child was recovered this afternoon from Decoy Pond in Brantham, Suffolk.

Speaking at Brantham Leisure Centre, Suffolk Constabulary Superintendent Tom Pearse said formal identification has yet to take place, but Noah's family has been informed. The death is currently being treated as unexplained but not suspicious, and the coroner will be notified.

An emotional Superintendent Pearse told reporters: "First and foremost, our thoughts are with Noah's family and all those who knew him." He added: "Police and fire teams this afternoon sadly recovered the body of a child from Decoy Pond in Brantham." He asked the public to give the family "time, space and privacy".

Noah was reported missing at around 3pm on Tuesday after becoming separated from his grandfather at a playground in Merriam Close. CCTV footage captured him in the playground before running down an alleyway leading towards the fishing pond, a new-build housing estate, and the railway line.

Noah is described as white, with curly ginger hair, autistic, non-verbal, and with partial hearing loss. During the search, his great-uncle Tony Malcolm described him as "a lovely little kid". Noah was wearing a Bluey T-shirt, shorts, and black Vans trainers with a white stripe; as we reported earlier, initial descriptions of white footwear were corrected by police during the search.

The recovery followed an extensive search operation involving specialist police dive teams, dog units, Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service, Suffolk Lowland Search & Rescue (SULSAR), Coastguard teams from Felixstowe and Holbrook, and helicopters from HM Coastguard and the National Police Air Service.

More than 1,000 local volunteers joined the search effort, gathering at the leisure centre where many were moved to tears as the news broke. Superintendent Pearse praised the public response, saying: "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."