A three-year-old boy left a play area ‘through a gap in the fence’ before being found dead in a lake following a huge search, an inquest heard today.

Noah Woods became separated from a relative after visiting a playground in Brantham, Suffolk, on Tuesday last week.

Some 1,300 members of the public joined a search to find Noah, who police said was non-verbal, partially deaf and had been undergoing an assessment for autism.

Metropolitan Police divers recovered his body from a lake, known locally as Decoy Pond, the following day and police said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

A JustGiving page set up by Good Dads Club, a community of fathers based in Colchester, Essex, has now received £113,000 in donations from 6,500 supporters.

Noah’s father Rhys Woods paid tribute to his son last week, saying: ‘There are no words to describe the pain of this loss, we are all absolutely heartbroken.

‘Noah was the sweetest and most innocent little boy, with nothing but love to give, and we are going to miss him so very much.’

More to follow 

Noah Woods, three, became separated from a relative after visiting a playground in Brantham