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A Belfast coroner has appealed for "inaccurate and baseless rumours" about the disappearance and death of 14-year-old schoolboy Noah Donohoe to stop.

The Belfast teenager went missing on 21 June. His body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast six days later.

A post-mortem examination found he died as a result of drowning.

During a preliminary hearing ahead of the full inquest, Joe McCrisken said police investigations are ongoing and asked for an end to online speculation.

Mr McCrisken stressed the post-mortem examination findings are preliminary and that a full report is awaited.

"I understand the concern of the communities in the light of Noah's disappearance and death, and the desire for further information.

"I am asking that speculation cease from today," he said.

Noah's mother Fiona and aunt Niamh attended the hearing at Laganside Courts in Belfast.

In the days after his disappearance, hundreds of people turned out to search for him.

There has been much speculation around his disappearance in the month that has passed and the coroner addressed that.

He said he could provide some details which may dispel some of those "baseless and inaccurate rumours".

He said officers investigating Noah's death have compiled video footage of his journey from south Belfast to the north of the city and that Noah is not seen interacting with anyone else on this journey.

Mr McCrisken said Noah was seen to fall from his bicycle on the Shore Road close to the Grove Leisure Centre.

He said the bag containing his laptop was found by a member of the public on York Street and his phone was also discovered on North Queen Street by a member of the public.

Mr McCrisken added there is no evidence linking Noah's death to the death of any other individual.

The coroner confirmed that Noah was seen on Northwood Road without any clothes.

'Residents have assisted police'

His hoodie and shoes have been recovered but a specific appeal has been made for anyone who may know the whereabouts of other items of clothing to contact police, the coroner's service, KRW law or Relatives for Justice.

Those items are: Noah's green coat; grey Primark-labelled shorts; white underwear; and a green t-shirt with orange skull on the front.

Mr McCrisken said: "I want to make it clear that the residents of Northwood Crescent, Northwood Road and surrounding areas have at all times assisted police with their enquiries and assisted the community rescue service and police in their search for Noah."

None of the preliminary post-mortem examination results were revealed in court.

A spokesperson for the family had previously said the "post-mortem raises more questions than answers".

Last week, in a statement issued on behalf of the family, Noah's mother said she hoped the inquest would help to answer "the outstanding questions of how Noah was in a state of undress and how he met his death in a storm drain".

The Donohoe family also made an appeal to the public, saying "every single small piece of information will assist in the recovery of the answers to these heartbreaking and painful questions".

The family has also specifically appealed to any householder in the Shore Road area who has CCTV to pass the footage on to the police, KRW law or Relatives for Justice.

The full inquest will take place in January 2021.

A spokesperson for the family had previously said the "post-mortem raises more questions than answers".

Ms Donohoe also appealed for anyone with information to come forward.