The village of Ribchester is a place where time has stood still (Image: Getty Images)

The body of a child has been retrieved from the River Ribble in Lancashire.

Lancashire Police stated that the body is thought to be that of a 12-year-old boy who got into difficulty while swimming with friends in the river at Ribchester on Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency services were summoned to the village in the Ribble Valley shortly after 2pm following concerns raised over the welfare of a child. A large-scale search was launched involving Lancashire Police’s underwater search unit and crews from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

The North West Ambulance Service also attended the scene.

Lancashire Police confirmed that the body of a child was recovered at around 7.50pm. While formal identification has not yet taken place, officers believe it to be the missing boy.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be passed to HM Coroner in due course. The boy’s family is being supported by specially trained officers.

The force said: “Our thoughts are very much with his loved ones at this extremely distressing time.”

Images from the scene earlier showed the road alongside the river cordoned off as emergency crews searched the water.