Police name boy, 8, who fell in swollen river

Ian Bell, from Sunnybrow, County Durham, is thought to have fallen into the River Wear, near Willington, County Durham, at around 7pm on Friday.

Police, the fire service, the RAF, mountain rescue teams and police divers have been carrying out a major search operation.

Janice Larnach, the owner of the Brown Trout pub, near where he is believed to have fallen in, said the boy’s brother had told search teams he saw his sibling fall and grab on to a tree branch, which then snapped.

Neighbours have been helping out with the search and said his mother had recently given birth to her fourth child.

Locals said the area had experienced heavy rainfall over the last week, causing the River Wear to swell.