A body has been found after Kaliyah Coa, an 11-year-old girl, went missing in the River Thames two weeks ago. The Met Police was alerted to the discovery of a body in Maritime Quay, E14 on Sunday, April 13 at 9.03am.

A spokesperson for the force said: "The body is yet to be formally identified. However, the family of Kaliyah Coa have been informed of this development and are being supported by specialist officers. An update will be provided following formal identification. Kaliyah's family ask that privacy is respected at this time."

The tragic discovery follows a desperate search after the youngster went missing on the afternoon of March 31.

Kaliyah, who had been playing by the water during a school inset day, had entered the water near Barge House Causeway, near London City Airport in east London.

Emergency services were called at 1.23pm on with London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade, the RNLI and the Coastguard assisting in the search for the missing schoolgirl.

The child had been playing near the water with a young boy and girl at the time of the incident, local residents said.

Shaleen Rajaendram, who lives on Barge House Road which leads onto the causeway, told PA: “I heard upstairs a guy was screaming ‘wait there, wait, the police is coming’.”

The man was standing on a balcony in a flat block overlooking the river and later told Ms Rajaendram he had been alerted by the children “shouting, screaming”, she said.

The 59-year-old added: “Then I saw suddenly two kids were coming out to the top of the bridge, I said ‘what happened?’

“Then they said ‘one of my friends was playing in the water, one of my friends has gone into water and she’s gone underneath and we can’t find her’.”