Boy, 3, goes missing after playground visit as police ask villagers to join search

Noah was last seen at 3pm on Tuesday when he became separated from a relative after visiting the playground

A large-scale search has been launched for a missing three year old boy named Noah, with police urging local residents to check their gardens, sheds and outbuildings for any sign of the non-verbal autistic youngster.

Noah was last spotted at 3pm on Tuesday after becoming separated from a relative following a visit to a playground in Merriam Close in Brantham, near Manningtree, Suffolk Police said.

The force confirmed the three-year-old is autistic, non-verbal and has partial hearing loss.

Officers believe Noah ran off down an alleyway alongside the playground in the direction of a nearby new-build housing estate. The youngster is described as white with curly ginger hair, and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt featuring the TV character Bluey, shorts and white trainers.

A Coastguard helicopter was observed circling the village, which sits close to the estuary of the River Stour.

A Suffolk Constabulary spokesperson said: “Emergency services are currently in Brantham conducting searches. Residents in the area are asked to check their gardens, sheds and outbuildings.”

The BBC reported that upwards of 100 volunteers had joined the search effort on Tuesday evening.

HM Coastguard confirmed their involvement, with a spokesperson stating: “We are assisting Suffolk Constabulary with an incident at Brantham by sending an HM Coastguard helicopter and Coastguard Rescue Teams from Felixstowe and Holbrook.”

Anyone who believes they may have spotted Noah is urged to get in touch with Suffolk Police, quoting CAD 203 of September 15.

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