Police have recovered the body of a child during the search for three-year-old Noah Woods, who went missing in Brantham, Suffolk, earlier this week.

Suffolk Police said specialist dive teams recovered the body from Decoy Pond on Wednesday 16 September. Formal identification had not yet taken place, but Noah’s family had been informed.

Noah disappeared after becoming separated from a relative at a playground in Merriam Close, Brantham, on Tuesday afternoon. His disappearance prompted a major search involving Suffolk Police, fire and rescue teams, the Coastguard, specialist search units and members of the public.

More than 1,000 volunteers joined the search operation, with teams checking areas around the village, nearby waterways and other locations. Emergency services also used specialist equipment and aerial searches during the operation.

Police said the discovery is currently being treated as not suspicious but unexplained. Officers have asked the public to respect the privacy of Noah’s family as further enquiries continue.