Xielo Maruziva: Police 'heartbroken' as river search in fourth week

Two-year-old Xielo Maruziva has been missing since he fell into the River Soar on 18 February

A search for a missing two-year-old boy who fell into a river in Leicester has entered its fourth week.

Xielo Maruziva fell into the River Soar, in the Aylestone area, at about 17:00 GMT on 18 February.

More than 200 officers have been involved in an ongoing search to locate him.

Police said their search, which involves specialist teams, divers and volunteer organisations, is "dedicated and extremely complex".

Xielo has been described as a "bundle of joy" by his family, who said they were "so heartbroken" by his disappearance.

Leicestershire Police previously said officers had recovered CCTV, which it believes shows Xielo falling in the river, in the Marsden Lane area of Aylestone Meadows.

Xielo's father entered the water to try to rescue his child and was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. He was later discharged.

The search for Xielo is continuing despite the "challenging" conditions, police say

Officers said that in the past seven days, additional support, expertise and advice has also been provided by a specialist diving team from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

Assistant Chief Constable Michaela Kerr said: "To be entering our fourth week of searching for Xielo without being able to locate him and return him to his family despite all the team's efforts is heartbreaking.

"I know that the determination to find him is felt by all who have been involved in the search over the past three weeks, in all conditions, and we are all desperately trying to find answers for little Xielo's family.

"We do of course continue to support Xielo's family at this most painful time and to keep them updated on our search.

"I want to thank them for their bravery and their support to us throughout the last three weeks.

"Our search for Xielo is continuing with specialist teams at the scene and our tactics and strategies continue to be reviewed as we move forward."