Organisers of a memorial event in Melksham for three-year-old Noah Woods have U-turned on plans to hold a mass balloon release following public backlash.
The gathering, in memory of the youngster whose body was found in a Suffolk pond after he went missing from a playground, is due to take place at King George V Park at 6pm on Tuesday 22 September.
Organisers had initially asked those attending to bring balloons to release in Noah’s memory.
However, following concerns raised about the potential impact on wildlife and the environment, the plans have been changed.
People attending the memorial are now being asked to bring candles or battery-powered lights instead.
A spokesperson said: “In remembrance of little Noah, could anyone who wishes to be part of the session, please bring a battery powered tea light, or a candle in a jam jar, to be lit”.
They added: “Balloons, even biodegradable ones, are unnecessary, costly and classed as littering and they, and their strings/ribbons can cause harm to wildlife and the environment.”
Noah’s disappearance sparked a major emergency services search in Brantham, Suffolk, after he became separated from a relative following a visit to a playground.
The three-year-old disappeared at around 3pm after reportedly running down an alleyway and out of sight.
Police officers, search dogs, helicopters, firefighters, Coastguard teams, specialist volunteers and members of the public were involved in the search.
Metropolitan Police dive teams later searched Decoy Pond in Brantham, where the body of a child believed to be Noah was recovered.
Police said his death was being treated as unexplained but not suspicious.
