Noah Woods, the three-year-old boy who was found dead in a pond following a huge search in Suffolk, had left a play area “through a gap in the fence”, an inquest in Ipswich has heard.

A major search was carried out in the village of Brantham after the toddler went missing on 15 September. His body was found the next day in nearby water by police divers.

Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill said it was a “very sad and tragic death” as she opened and adjourned the inquest.

Suffolk Coroner’s Court heard from police that Noah had left the playground, walked into a memorial garden and left that through an open gate. He then ran down a path on a new housing estate towards the nearby Decoy Pond.

Det Ch Insp Matt Connick from Suffolk Police told the court that CCTV showed Noah playing in the area with a relative close by.

After he had left the play area, he was closely followed by the relative trying to catch up with him, he added.

The inquest heard the relative had shouted out to Noah, who lived in neighbouring East Bergholt, but he went out of sight shortly afterwards.

Another man was said to have joined the search and then police were called.

At least 1,300 people helped to try to find Noah in the following 24 hours after he went missing.

Helicopters, dog units and members of the public had been scouring the area, close to the River Stour on the Suffolk-Essex border.

Police divers from the Metropolitan Police went into a nearby body of water, known locally as Decoy Pond, on 16 September in an area where Noah was last seen.

The boy’s body was found five metres from the edge of the pond within submerged tree roots at a depth of 1.8 metres.

Connick told the court that Noah’s death was confirmed at 16:31 BST by paramedics and his identity was formally confirmed by his mother at Ipswich Hospital that evening.

A post-mortem examination was carried out at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, which the court was told “requires further investigation” before a final conclusion on the cause of death could be made.

Noah’s death was not being treated as suspicious by police, the court heard.

At the outset of the hearing, which was not attended by family, the coroner said: “I would like to express my deepest condolences to Noah’s family and friends and all those affected by Noah’s death.”

A date for the full inquest has not been set.

Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, paid tribute to the toddler on social media, he said: “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.”

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