River Wear search: Hope 'fading' to find Ian Bell

The hope of finding an eight-year-old boy who went missing after falling into the River Wear in County Durham is "fading", police have said.

Ian Bell, of Sunnybrow, was with friends near Willington, Crook, when he fell from an embankment near the Brown Trout pub at Prospect Place.

Specialist divers, fire crews and RAF and mountain rescue teams have been searching the river since Friday night.

The search for the boy has now entered day five.

So far 13 miles (21km) of the River Wear have been searched with help from the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue, the County Council Civil Contingency Unit and community volunteers.

Ch Supt Andy Reddick, co-ordinating the search, said: "The search for Ian will continue into its fifth day, but the hopes of finding Ian are fading.

"After four days of continuous searching using all resources we have available we are still yet to locate him.

"During the search for Ian we have been overwhelmed by the offers of assistance from the local and wider community.

"Volunteers have been providing refreshments for our search teams and the general public. We would like to thank them for their help."

Trained officers have now searched as far as Durham City from the point where Ian is believed to have entered the water.

A specialist underwater camera team from Derbyshire also assisted in the search for Ian on Monday.

Police officers are said to be on hand at Jubilee Bridge, Page Bridge and the footbridge near to the Brown Trout pub directing members of the public and offering advice to those wishing to participate in the search.