Police keep open mind on missing Noah, 3, but ‘nothing to indicate criminality’
The search for a three-year-old boy who vanished from a Suffolk village remains a missing persons investigation with no indication anything sinister has happened, police have said.
A massive search operation is under way in Brantham supported by hundreds of volunteers in the desperate hunt to find toddler Noah. He went missing after a visit to a play area in the village on Tuesday afternoon when he became separated from a relative. Noah is non-verbal and partially deaf and will not respond to his name if called. In an update on Wednesday, Superintendent Tom Pearse from Suffolk police said: “This is being treated as a missing person investigation at this stage and there is nothing to indicate anything sinister or any element of criminality has taken place although we keep an open mind as to the circumstances.” The force released new CCTV stills and footage of the little boy in the play area in Merriam Close at 2.37pm on Tuesday just before he vanished. It is thought that he ran down an alleyway beside the playground towards a nearby new-build housing estate. The surrounding area includes woods and a pond and is near the River Stour and a railway. Noah is white with curly ginger hair and was wearing a white T-shirt with the TV character Bluey on, shorts and black Vans trainers with a white stripe. On Wednesday, volunteers could be seen in hi-vis jackets helping to search the area, with efforts being co-ordinated from the village hall and a local leisure centre. One of the hundreds who came to help, Rebecca Lucas, 46, said “everybody’s come together to try and do what they can.” The theatre production company worker, of Manningtree, Essex, said: “I’ve got two children, I’ve got a seven-year-old and a three-year-old, and obviously this hits quite close to home with Noah being three. “I think within the local community everyone’s really close-knit and it just touches at the heartstrings, everybody just wants to get involved and see if there’s anything we can do rather than just sit at home.” The volunteers are part of a massive search operation led by police, fire, coastguard and search and rescue teams, with sniffer dogs being used and a helicopter flying overhead. As well as the ground search, officers are looking at CCTV and other available video footage, going door to door and carrying out aerial and thermal imaging searches. Noah’s father posted on social media asking volunteers to widen their search beyond the village where possible. He wrote: “I cannot go another night knowing he’s out there alone, please don’t give up on him guys. He is out there somewhere and I appreciate every single one of you.” In the update from police on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Pearse urged volunteers to report to the co-ordination centre and to avoid the railway and open water, which need specialist searching. He said: “It has now been around 24 hours since Noah was reported as missing to us and we are doing everything we can to find him. “We are extremely grateful for the support shown by the public. If you are helping please report into the co-ordination centre to ensure the search continues to be done in a systematic and co-ordinated fashion. “This will ensure we can carefully plan and take account of people supporting the search. “We politely ask people to avoid open waters and railways – these are areas that require specialist and professional expertise. We also ask that personal drones are not used as these can interfere with specialist search equipment. “There may also be times when officers may need to restrict access to certain areas or move away from search locations. “Please do not be offended if this happens; it is necessary to allow us to carry out our inquiries and search activity as effectively as possible.” Police have received a number of calls about children’s toys and hats but Noah was not carrying anything or wearing a hat when he went missing, Mr Pearse said. Advice from Brantham Parish Council to volunteers included: “You are looking for a frightened three-year-old. “Think about slight movements in your peripheral, high and low, tiny small spaces use all your senses whilst searching.” They have been told not to grab or approach Noah if they find him, but instead to call police on 999 immediately and give their exact location using the What3Words app. South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge said on X that he and the local police force are “incredibly grateful to the community and all of the volunteers for their help with the search for missing Noah”, and confirmed that more police resources had been sent to the village on Wednesday morning. In an earlier entry he called the toddler’s disappearance “incredibly concerning”, adding “I simply can’t imagine what his family and loved ones are going through, but they will be in the thoughts of us all”. Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore thanked emergency services for working “tirelessly”, and “the army of Suffolk citizens” who have volunteered to help. He said: “This is an extremely distressing situation which has rocked communities in Suffolk. “In the forefront of our minds is Noah’s family, our thoughts and prayers are with them. “Without a doubt, everything possible is being done to find Noah.” Police earlier asked local residents to check their gardens thoroughly, sheds and outbuildings or any potential areas where a child might hide. Anyone with private CCTV or doorbell cameras in the village, or who was driving through the area with a dashcam, are asked to review the footage from 3pm yesterday afternoon onwards for any possible sightings of Noah.
Published: by Radio NewsHub