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Police are investigating the death of a six-year-old boy who fell into a river on a Beaver Scout trip.
Alan Lock died in hospital a few hours after being pulled from the River Stour, close to his home in the village of Acton, near Sudbury in Suffolk.
Police said they were treating the death as “unexplained” while they investigate how the boy came to be in the river.
Alan was a Beaver Scout with the 1st Acton and Waldingfield Scout Group.
He was part of a group, aged between six and eight, taking part in a walk along the riverbank yesterday evening.
It is believed there were between 15 and 20 children and adults in the party.
A Scout Association spokesman could not confirm how many adults were there to supervise the youngsters.
He said: “We will launch an inquiry of our own to establish that our rules were followed, and to establish if there are any lessons to be learned for the future.”
The spokesman added: “They have done this walk a few times before along the side of the riverbank. The question of how the young person ended up in the water is part of an investigation by the local authorities and by us.”
Trudi Staples, the boy's second cousin, wrote on the website of the East Anglian Daily Times: “He was a gorgeous little boy and the world will be a much emptier place without him.
“I am struggling to come to terms with how this was allowed to happen on an organised trip.
“I often take schoolchildren out and am fully aware of all the procedures you put into place to safeguard children.”
Police scene of crime officers carried out investigations today on a bridge over the river where the death occurred.
Neighbour Claire Nistor said Alan lived with his parents and brother Adam, four.
“He was a very happy little boy,” said Mrs Nistor, 29. “He was very friendly, a very good little boy.”
