NEW DETAILS EMERGE IN NOAH WOODS CASE AS INQUEST REVEALS HOW THREE-YEAR-OLD LEFT PLAYGROUND

NEW DETAILS have emerged in the heartbreaking case of three-year-old Noah Woods, as an inquest heard how the little boy left a Suffolk playground through a gap in a fence before he was later found dead in a nearby pond.

Noah disappeared on the afternoon of September 15, 2026, after visiting an under-fives play area in Merriam Close, Brantham, Suffolk, with a relative.

His disappearance triggered a huge search operation involving emergency services, specialist teams and around 1,300 members of the public.

The following afternoon, his body was recovered from Decoy Pond, bringing the search to a devastating end. Suffolk Police have said his death is not being treated as suspicious.

CCTV SHOWED NOAH PLAYING BEFORE HE DISAPPEARED

At an inquest at Suffolk Coroner’s Court in Ipswich on September 25, Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick provided new details about the moments before Noah disappeared.

The hearing was told that Noah was being cared for by relatives and that the visit to the playground was part of his normal routine.

CCTV footage showed Noah playing with his relative in the under-fives play area.

The first footage was recorded at around 2:13 p.m., while Noah was last seen playing at approximately 2:37 p.m.

However, the CCTV system was motion-activated, meaning it did not provide continuous footage of everything that happened.

HE LEFT THROUGH A GAP IN THE FENCE

According to DCI Connick, Noah eventually left the play area through a gap in the fence.

The gap led toward a memorial garden, where he then went through an open gate.

He continued in the direction of Decoy Pond while his relative followed closely behind.

The relative shouted after Noah and attempted to keep up with him.

But after approximately 200 metres, the relative could no longer see him.

Police were then called and a major search operation began.

The new information provides a clearer picture of how Noah was able to leave the playground area, although the inquest has not yet established the full circumstances surrounding his death.

A MASSIVE SEARCH FOLLOWED

The disappearance sparked an extraordinary community response.

Approximately 1,300 members of the public joined police and emergency services in the search for Noah.

Specialist police search teams, dog units, the National Police Air Service, HM Coastguard, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, the Metropolitan Police Dive Team, Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue and other agencies were involved.

People searched roads, paths and surrounding areas as hopes remained that Noah would be found alive.

But on September 16, Metropolitan Police divers recovered the body of a child from Decoy Pond.

The body was found approximately five metres from the bank, among submerged tree roots.

The depth of the water at that location was estimated at around 1.8 metres.

NOAH’S FAMILY REMEMBER THEIR “HAPPY LITTLE BOY”

Following the tragedy, Noah’s family asked that he be remembered for the joy he brought to those around him.

In a statement issued through Suffolk Police, they described him as a “happy, cheeky, playful three-year-old boy” who loved to laugh and giggle.

They said he was at the centre of a loving family and adored his baby brother.

The family also revealed that Noah was being assessed for autism, although he had not received a diagnosis. He had mild hearing loss and was speech delayed.

Despite those challenges, his family said he had been learning new words and had only recently begun finding and using his voice.

His mother, Charlie Peck, said the family hoped people would hold their own children a little tighter and cherish every moment with them.

His father, Rhys Woods, previously described Noah as “the sweetest and most innocent little boy, with nothing but love to give.”

THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO REMEMBER HIM

Tributes have been left near the playground where Noah was last seen.

The tragedy also prompted an extraordinary fundraising response.

By September 19, a fundraising campaign organized to support Noah’s family had raised more than £100,000, with more than 6,000 people contributing. Organizers said the money would help the family deal with expenses and allow them time away from work while grieving.

The scale of the response reflected the impact Noah’s disappearance had on the local community and beyond.

INQUEST ADJOURNED

The inquest into Noah’s death was opened and then adjourned on September 25.

The hearing lasted only several minutes.

The court was told that his medical cause of death remains pending further investigation following a post-mortem examination at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

Assistant Suffolk Coroner Jyoti Gill expressed her condolences to Noah’s family and everyone affected by his death before adjourning the inquest to a date yet to be fixed.

Suffolk Police continue to have inquiries to complete before submitting their file to the coroner.

For now, investigators have said there is no indication that Noah’s death was suspicious.

The latest inquest evidence has answered some questions about how the three-year-old left the playground — but many details surrounding his final moments remain to be established.

For his family, however, the central memory remains much simpler: a little boy who loved to laugh, loved to play, and was deeply loved by those around him.