💔 A LITTLE BOY THREW HIS PRIZED FOOTBALL INTO THE PLAYGROUND — AND LEFT A HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE TO NOAH

Just days ago, this playground was filled with the laughter of children.

Now, it has become a place of silence, flowers and heartbreak.

A little boy arrived with his family this morning and gently threw his prized football into the playground where three-year-old Noah Woods was last seen.

The ball came to rest just feet from the blue merry-go-round where Noah had been playing less than 48 hours earlier.

It was such a simple gesture.

But in that moment, it said more than words ever could.

The boy was part of a family group of two mums and four children who came to Brantham to pay their respects. They placed flowers beside the playground fence before heading off to school.

Nearby, tributes continued to appear.

One message read:

“Sorry we couldn’t do more Noah.”

Another simply said:

“RIP Noah — sweet angel.”

A Bluey Butterflies toy was also left behind, carrying a handwritten message:

“I am so sorry Noah that we were not close enough to you last night. Sleep tight angel boy.”

For a village that had spent hours searching, hoping and praying for Noah, the playground now carries a completely different feeling.

The swings, the merry-go-round and the places where children normally run and laugh have become painful reminders of the little boy whose disappearance brought so many people together.

Yesterday afternoon, the body of a child was found in a nearby pond. Police said they believe it is Noah, and the death is being treated as unexplained.

Today, Brantham is mourning.

Flowers line the place where Noah was last seen.

Messages are being written by people who never knew him personally.

And a little boy’s football now rests quietly on the playground floor — a small tribute to a child who should still be here.

💙 Rest peacefully, little Noah.