THE SEARCH FOR NOAH WOODS ENDED AT THE POND — AND THE NEWS BRANTHAM FEARED MOST WAS CONFIRMED

Three-year-old Noah Woods vanished in broad daylight. Within hours, more than a thousand people were searching desperately for him.

Then police divers entered Decoy Pond.

A child’s body was recovered.

Police have now formally confirmed the heartbreaking identity: Noah Woods.

The three-year-old disappeared at around 2:37 p.m. on September 15, after becoming separated from a relative following a visit to a playground in Brantham, Suffolk.

CCTV captured Noah running down an alleyway before disappearing from sight.

What followed was one of the largest community searches the area had seen, involving police officers, specialist search teams, dogs, helicopters, firefighters, coastguard crews, volunteers and members of the public.

Around 1,300 people joined the search as hopes remained that Noah could still be found alive.

But after more than 24 hours, Metropolitan Police divers searching Decoy Pond made the discovery that brought the desperate search to a tragic end.

Suffolk Constabulary has said Noah’s death is not being treated as suspicious, although the circumstances remain unexplained and further enquiries are continuing.

His father, Rhys Woods, paid tribute to his son as “the sweetest and most innocent little boy.”

Now, the playground where Noah was last seen has become a place of mourning, with flowers, toys and messages left by people who never knew him but joined the desperate effort to bring him home.

A little boy disappeared. A nation searched. And the ending no one wanted has now been confirmed.