Leicester police search for boy, 2, who fell into River Soar – updates

(PA Archive)

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Police say a two-year-old boy has been missing since yesterday after he fell into the River Soar in Leicester.

A major search is underway to find the boy and the operation was set to continue with “additional specialist teams” on Monday morning, Leicestershire Police said.

The boy was with his family when he entered the water, police said.

Emergency services attended the scene just after 5pm and a search and rescue operation to find the boy began in Aylestone Meadows, close to Marsden Lane, to the south of Leicester city.

Footage posted online showed police on a bridge near Riverside Drive. A helicopter was also seen hovering above the scene using a searchlight to scan the area.

A man from the scene was taken to hospital “as a precautionary measure”, police said.

Police have urged to people not to attend the scene over fears of rising water levels and safety risks, after they received a number of requests to offer support in the search operation.