Floral tributes, including soft toys, have been left where a young girl died in the River Thames.

Her body was found in the water near the Gordon Promenade, in Gravesend, on Saturday morning (May 31) following a huge search.

She has been named on social media as “Bia” and is understood to have been nine years old.

Bouquets and soft toys have since been left at Newbridge Causeway, behind the Gravesend Rowing Club house, where she is believed to have entered the water.

One message said: “Rest in peace, little one.”

Another added: “May you find eternal peace in the arms of angels.”

While two more read “rest in peace, lovely girl” and “rest well, beautiful girl”.

Devastated members of her family, believed to be from Romania, have described her as a “beautiful angel” who “had her whole life ahead of her”.

Gravesham MP Dr Lauren Sullivan also posted a statement on social media on Saturday afternoon, offering her “deepest condolences” to the family.

She added: “I would like to thank emergency services, including the coastguard, Kent Police, the RNLI, and PLA many others for their efforts in the search.

“I know there are many opinions circulating at this time about the circumstances surrounding this tragic event, and from speaking to the authorities, it is right that there is an investigation, as with all sad circumstances such as these.

“But at the heart of this is a family and community in grief, which I hope everyone can respect.

“I send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the child, and keep them all in my thoughts at this time.”

It is understood that Bia was playing with her cousin near the water when she slipped and the current pulled her in.

People have since called for there to be more safety measures along the riverbank to stop people from getting too close to the water.

They have also said there should be more signage warning visitors of the dangers and some written in other languages too.

The emergency services were scrambled to the Royal Terrace Pier in Gravesend at around 1.45pm on Friday (May 30) following reports that two children, a boy and a girl, had got into difficulty in the water.

There was a huge search involving the police’s marine units, the coastguard helicopter and RNLI lifeboats.

The boy, thought to be seven, was later retrieved from the water and was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

According to a spokesman for the nearby Gravesend Rowing Club, one of the men swam out using a life ring.

He managed to retrieve the boy, but lost sight of the girl before he could do anything to help her.

Speaking to Sky News, George Karnovski described how he rescued the “screaming” youngster from the water.

The 37-year-old said: "At the same time as pulling him out, I was looking around, like, where is she, where is she?

"I am shouting, saying 'there is one more, there is one more'. I am looking around, [but] for love nor money, I cannot see the little girl."

Mr Karnovski, who is a member of the RAF, had been visiting his family who live in the town and had been out on a walk when they heard that children were in trouble in the water.

The search for the girl was suspended on Friday evening before resuming the following morning, where at 11.40am a body was recovered from the river.

Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious at this stage, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

A cordon was put in place at the junction of Commercial Place, The Terrace and Milton Place on Friday.