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Nicola Bulley – latest news: Friends share images of dog walker the day she disappeared

A friend of Nicola Bulley has released new images from her doorbell camera which show the missing mother-of-two leaving her home on the morning that she disappeared.

It comes as police searching for the 45-year-old said that a woman described as a “key witness” had come forward, after announcing on Saturday that they were trying to trace a woman seen pushing a pram in the area close to where the dog walker vanished.

Lancashire Police said the woman had come forward “very quickly” and is being treated as a witness.

On Friday, police said that they believed the 45-year-old fell into the River Wyre while walking her dog nearby.

However, Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, has questioned the theory.

She urged the public to “keep an open mind” in a social media post on Friday evening, adding that there is “no evidence” her sister fell into the water.

In an interview with Sky News, Ms Bulley’s close friend Emma White disputed that a ball had been taken on the walk.

Key Points

  • New images show Nicola Bulley leaving home on day she disappeared

  • Private underwater rescue team to join search

  • Police say 'key witness' has come forward

  • Police say speculation on social media 'unacceptable'

  • Nicola Bulley's sister questions police theory

  • Police believe missing dog walker Nicola Bulley fell into River Wyre

  • ‘Stuck in a nightmare’: Nicola Bulley’s family issue emotional plea for information

Private firm’s search will continue today until team runs out of light or fuel, staff member says

15:33 , Andy Gregory

A member of the private rescue team joining the search for Nicola Bulley has told a reporter that they will continue to work today until they are physically unable to.

The team will scour the riverbed today until they run out of fuel or light, the SGI staff member told GB News, in a report posted to the rescue company’s Facebook page.

Friends of Nicola Bulley hope private search team can provide ‘answers'

15:06 , Andy Gregory

Friends of Nicola Bulley have expressed hope that the new help from a specialist underwater rescue team will give her family answers.

Emma White told broadcasters this morning that the family had asked for help from Peter Faulding, who said his team will use high-tech sonar, which can see “every stick and stone lying on the riverbed”.

Ms White told BBC Breakfast: “Following the hypothesis of the police that Nicola was in the river, we need some evidence to back that up either way and I feel Peter and his amazing bit of kit ... is going to come and sweep the river bed and give us answers.”

Watch: Private underwater search team begin trawling River Wyre

14:37 , Andy Gregory

Private dive team must be allowed to confirm or deny river theory, says founder

14:01 , Andy Gregory

Forensic expert Peter Faulding, founder and chief executive of Specialist Group International, has said that his team must be allowed to “confirm or deny what’s in” the River Wyre, calling the discovery of Nicola Bulley’s belongings on the river bank the “only clue at the moment”.

Speaking to reporters shortly after arriving in St Michael’s on Wyre, Mr Faulding said: “If Nicola is here, I’m happy we will find her, if she’s in the river.”

He said his specialist equipment, a high-tech sonar which will scan the riverbed, has a “very high hit rate”, adding: “I can find anything with that.”

He said: “The clear evidence is the phone was by the river, the dog harness was by the river, so that’s their (the police’s) only clue at the moment and we’ve got to be allowed to eliminate this river, so we can either confirm or deny what’s in here today.”

‘If we can’t find Nicola Bulley in next three to four days, she’s not here,’ says rescue firm chief

13:31 , Andy Gregory

The head of the specialist diving company joining the search appears to have sought to temper expectations somewhat, shortly after appearing to suggest that his team’s sonar equipment could find Nicola Bulley within minutes if her body is in the River Wyre.

“We are dealing with about 10 drownings every summer. We always locate within the hour,” Peter Faulding told the paper.

But shortly after arriving in St Michael’s on Wyre, Mr Faulding told reporters that it was a “particularly long” stretch of river to search and that his team was bringing a "back-up resource" for the police.

He added: “If we can’t find her in the next three or four days in this river, if she’s not here, then I’m confident that she’s not in this stretch of river. I’d be very confident of that.

“We are going to be working our hardest, we’ll probably be working under darkness tonight for a while and that’s my intention to help the family.”

12:55 , Lucy Skoulding

The founder of an expert diving squad that is now assisting Lancashire Police with the investigation into missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley says she will be found “in minutes” if she is in the river.

“If Nicola is in there, we will find her. If she’s there, our sonar will pick her up straight away,” founder of Specialist Group International Paul Faulding told the Mirror.

He continued: “Nicola wouldn’t have gone far if she was in this river because it’s got shallows and she would get lodged.”

Mr Faulding said the expert group deal with around 10 drownings every summer and always locate people “within the hour”.

The sonar can highlight “every stick and stone on the bottom”, the expert explained.

He went on to say that if Ms Bulley had fallen into the river while conscious cold water shock could have taken her breath away, sapping her energy, which means she would eventually drown.

But he said if she was fit and healthy, and a strong swimming, she would have have been dragged down.

Mr Faulding added that while the police probably do have sonar technology, it’s likely not as powerful as his teams. They may also not have the expertise or resources to focus on it as much as they can.

Specialist Group International is assisting the police in the investigation to find Ms Bulley for free.

Police searching for Nicola Bulley in the River Wyre (PA)
Police searching for Nicola Bulley in the River Wyre (PA)

Map shows timeline on morning Nicola Bulley went missing

12:15 , Lucy Skoulding

A map shows a timeline of Nicola Bulley’s movements on the morning she went missing on 27 January.

The mother-of-two dropped her two children off at school, left her car in the car park and took her dog, Willow, for a walk by the River Wyre.

She followed a route she always walks with Willow along the towpath next to the river. Police believe she disappeared in a 10-minute window.

Map shows a timeline of Nicola Bulley’s movements on the day she went missing (Datawrapper/The Independent)
Map shows a timeline of Nicola Bulley’s movements on the day she went missing (Datawrapper/The Independent)

How the new private diver team will help in the search for Nicola Bulley

11:30 , Lucy Skoulding

Private diving team, Specialist Group International, which is led by forensic expert Peter Faulding have joined the search for missing Nicola Bulley. They will assist police in looking for the missing mother-of-two.

Speaking to Sky News about how the team will work, Mr Faulding said they will use high tech sonar which will be able to see “every stick and stone lying on the riverbed”.

He said: “Let’s get this water searched so it can be either confirmed or denied if Nicola is actually in the river.”

“This is a particularly long stretch of river for them (police) to do because they’re doubling up as a dive team as well, so this is a huge task for the police,” he added.

Friend explains why Nicola Bulley’s partner has never been a suspect

10:41 , Lucy Skoulding

Sharing 11 facts she feels the public need to know about Nicola Bulley’s disappearance, Tilly Ann, a close friend, said “there is a reason why Paul has never been a suspect”.

Ms Ann confirms that both Ms Bulley and her partner, Paul Ansell, mostly work from home which explains why he was there the day she went missing.

There is CCTV lining their house, which Ms Ann says explain why he has never been a suspect.

“Family and friends need these accusations to stop immediately”, she wrote. “That fact that I’ve had to write this is disgusting.”

Friend shares ‘11 facts you may not know’ about Nicola Bulley’s disappearance

09:41 , Lucy Skoulding

A close friend of missing 45-year-old Nicola Bulley has shared a plea online in an attempt to dispel misinformation about the case.

Tilly Ann, a close friend of the missing mother of two, has outlined 11 pieces of information she feels the public should know about the investigation. Amid rampant online discussion about the case, Ms Ann has said it is “disgusting” that she has had to issue this statement to curb online sleuths.

With the permission of Ms Bulley’s “incredibly close” family before posting, she notes that the only CCTV camera “that would have seen everything” is not working.

Read the full piece by reporter Eleanor Noyce.

09:14 , Lucy Skoulding

Emma White, a friend of Nicola Bulley’s, hopes that a new private underwater rescue group, which will assist the police, will bring answers to the theory that the missing mother fell into the river.

Ms White, who has known the mother-of-two for 10 years, told Radio 4’s Today programme: “The hypothesis is based on limited information – I’ve said before it’s a theory – and we sadly can’t base life on a theory.

“I came across one of the interviews with Peter Faulding, CEO of Specialist Group International. They’ve got expertise equipment and manpower and they search rivers in extreme detail, so the quest to bring Peter to St Michael’s began.”

The expert team arrived in St Michael’s on Wyre, where Ms Bulley went missing, on Sunday night and will co-operate with Lancashire Police to search the River Wyre.

Ms White added that Ms Bulley’s two children are coping “remarkably well” but added: “They ask every day where Mummy is.”

Police searching the river after Nicola Bulley went missing (PA)
Police searching the river after Nicola Bulley went missing (PA)

Nicola Bulley’s friend has asked private rescue team to rule out falling in river theory

08:50 , Lucy Skoulding

A friend of Nicola Bulley’s said she has asked a private underwater rescue team to completely rule out the possibility that the missing mother fell into the river.

Emma White told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “We hope they uncover nothing, like the police have done for the last 10 days, and we hope Nicola is not in that river.”

She also said she is pleased that Peter Faulding’s team from Specialist Group International, with their £52,000 piece of equipment, will be able to support and assist the police.

Ms White said that police’s theory that Ms Bulley fell into River Wyre “is based on a theory, with no actual evidence to support it”.

She also thanked the public for their continued support to try to find Ms Bulley, saying everyone was motivated by “two little girls who want their Mummy”.

Nicola Bulley’s final text before she disappeared revealed

07:00 , Katy Clifton

Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she “vanished into thin air” has been revealed.

The 45-year-old was last seen walking her dog by the river in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on Friday 27 January. She was still logged into a Microsoft Teams call which had ended at 9.30am when her phone was recovered.

Just half an hour earlier, the mother of two had texted a friend to book a playdate. She sent the message at 8.57am shortly before logging into the Teams call, locals at a village meeting were told.

Eleanor Noyce reports.

‘Vile’ theories over missing mother ‘incredibly hurtful’ for family

06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

“Vile theories” over missing Nicola Bulley that are being shared online are “incredibly hurtful” for her family, a friend has said.

Heather Gibbons said that while it is “human nature” for people to speculate, some may not realise that Ms Bulley’s family can see and read their comments.

“Everyone is going to have their thoughts and theories. Everyone will be speculating,” Ms Gibbons told BBC North West Tonight.

Read more here.

‘Vile’ theories over Nicola Bulley ‘incredibly hurtful’ for family, friend says

Broken CCTV camera ‘would have seen everything’ in Nicola Bulley disappearance

05:04 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The only broken CCTV camera in the area where Nicola Bulley disappeared “is the one that would have seen everything”, a friend of the missing dog walker has said.

The 45-year-old vanished last Friday while walking her dog along the River Wyre after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school nearby.

A week into the intensive search for Ms Bulley, Lancashire Police said that they were working on the theory that she had fallen into the river, and the force has consistently stated that there are no signs of any third-party involvement in her disappearance.

Andy Gregory reports.

Broken CCTV camera ‘would have seen everything’ in Nicola Bulley disappearance

Underwater forensics expert calls police investigation a ‘mess’

03:38 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A leading underwater forensics expert has branded the police investigation into Nicola Bulley’s disappearance “a mess”.

The 45-year-old mother-of-two disappeared while on her regular dog walk in the quiet village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire on the morning of 27 January. Despite an extensive search, Ms Bulley is yet to be found.

Lancashire Police revealed on 3 February that their main working hypothesis was that Ms Bulley “fell” into the river and was not suspicious but rather a “tragic case of a missing person.”

Eleanor Noyce has more.

Forensics expert brands police investigation into missing dog walker a ‘mess’

Private underwater search team will join operation ‘free of charge'

00:22 , Thomas Kingsley

Specialist Group International (SGI), led by forensic expert Peter Faulding, will begin aiding the search for Ms Bulley in the waterways of St Michael's on Wyre village in Lancashire from Monday morning.

The team has offered its services "free of charge". The news was confirmed to Sky News by Lancashire Constabulary.

In a post on Specialist Group International's Facebook page, Mr Faulding said his team will “work closely” with police.

“I have just had a long call with the Lancashire police search adviser to discuss the search for Nicola,” he said.

“We will work closely with the police search teams who are working long hours to find Nicola.

“The team are leaving shortly from our base in Dorking en route to Lancashire to start tomorrow morning.”

It comes as new images have been released of Ms Bulley from the day she disappeared.

Nicola Bulley’s partner is ‘on worst rollercoaster of his life’, says friend of missing mother

Sunday 5 February 2023 22:21 , Andy Gregory

The partner of Nicola Bulley, a mother who has been missing for a week, is on the “worst rollercoaster of his life”, reports Mary Kate-Findon.

A friend of the 45-year-old shared what she has seen of Paul Ansell’s experience of “perpetual hell” during an interview with Sky News.

“He is desperate to have Niki home, he just wants to know she’s safe and wants her home with the family,” Heather Gibbons said.

Watch: Friend of Nicola Bulley says 'factual evidence' needed as she questions police 'hypothesis'

Sunday 5 February 2023 21:28 , Andy Gregory

Search taking place in ‘extremely challenging environment’, police say

Sunday 5 February 2023 20:47 , Andy Gregory

The search for Nicola Bulley is taking place in an “extremely challenging environment”, police have said, as they announced that a private underwater rescue company was joining the operation.

Lancashire Police said in a statement on Sunday that Specialist Group International (SGI) “will join an already large, multi-agency search operation involving a wide variety of search assets and resources”.

It added: “Their capability will overlay what has already been, and continues to be done, in order to give extra search coverage along what is an extremely challenging environment to search.”

Private search and rescue team to join missing dog walker operation

Sunday 5 February 2023 20:00 , Thomas Kingsley

A private underwater rescue team has joined the search for the missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.

The 45-year-old was last seen more than a week ago, walking her dog Willow in Lancashire. Police are working on the theory she fell into the River Wyre.

New CCTV pictures, captured by her Ring camera on Friday 27 January, show Ms Bulley loading her car outside her home before driving her two children to school.

Read the full story here:

Private search and rescue team to join missing dog walker operation

Broken CCTV camera ‘would have seen everything’ in Nicola Bulley disappearance

Sunday 5 February 2023 19:45 , Thomas Kingsley

The only broken CCTV camera in the area where Nicola Bulley disappeared “is the one that would have seen everything”, a friend of the missing dog walker has said.

The 45-year-old vanished last Friday while walking her dog along the River Wyre after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school nearby.

A week into the intensive search for Ms Bulley, Lancashire Police said that they were working on the theory that Ms Bulley had fallen into the river, and the force has consistenly stated that there are no signs of any third-party involvement in her disappearance.

Read the full story below:

Broken CCTV camera ‘would have seen everything’ in Nicola Bulley disappearance

Police ‘seeking data from Nicola Bulley’s Fitbit'

Sunday 5 February 2023 19:06 , Andy Gregory

Police are trying to get data from Nicola Bulley’s Fitbit, her friend Emma White has said.

“The Fitbit had not been synced since Tuesday,” she said in an interview with The Sun. “The police are trying other ways to try to get information from it.”

My colleague Jonathan Kanengoni has more details:

Police ‘examining missing dog walker’s Fitbit data’ in hope to retrace last steps

Images released showing missing dog walker on day she disappeared

Sunday 5 February 2023 17:56 , Andy Gregory

Images of Nicola Bulley have been released showing the mother-of-two leaving her home for the last time on the day she vanished, my colleague Thomas Kingsley reports.

One of the 45-year-old’s friends released the doorbell camera capture as the desperate search for the missing dog walker continues.

Images released showing missing dog walker on day she disappeared

Witness claims to have seen a “red van” parked in village close to where Nicola Bulley went missing

Sunday 5 February 2023 17:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Last Friday, a witness contacted Lancashire Police to report a “suspicious” red van parked in the village near where 45-year-old Nicola Bulley went missing on January 27.

“I saw a tatty red van in Hall Lane outside a barn,” The Times reports the 55-year-old witness, a resident of St Michael’s on Wyre, as saying. “I didn’t think anything at the time, but when I saw Nicola had gone missing, I called 101 and spoke to an operator.

“I contacted the police again on Friday and spoke to a police officer. It could have been a Renault van. It was the sort of van you can live in. I saw it on my way to the cake shop.”

Police have not issued details about any vehicle during the course of the investigation.

Nicola Bulley: All the evidence released so far in the case of the missing dog walker

Sunday 5 February 2023 17:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Nicola Bulley, a 45-year-old mother-of-two and mortgage adviser, is still missing a week after she disappeared while out walking her dog after dropping her young daughters off at primary school.

Ms Bulley, originally from Essex but now lives in Inskip, was heading east along the River Wyre in Lancashire with her brown springer spaniel Willow when she vanished near St Michael’s on Wyre at approximately 9.15am on 27 January.

She was seen by at least one fellow dog walker moments before disappearing.

Willow’s lead and harness and Ms Bulley’s mobile phone were subsequently discovered on a nearby bench, the device still connected to a work conference call.

The dog itself was also found shortly after being recognised by a member of the public and reportedly appeared distressed.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

All the evidence released so far in the Nicola Bulley case

Underwater forensics expert brands police investigation into missing dog walker a ‘mess’

Sunday 5 February 2023 16:45 , Eleanor Noyce

A leading underwater forensics expert has branded the police investigation into Nicola Bulley’s disappearance “a mess”.

The 45-year-old mother-of-two disappeared while on her regular dog walk in the quiet village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire on the morning of 27 January. Despite an extensive search, Ms Bulley has yet to be found.

Lancashire Police revealed on 3 February that their main working hypothesis was that Ms Bulley “fell” into the river and was not suspicious but rather a “tragic case of a missing person.”

But forensics expert Peter Faulding, like Ms Bulley’s family, disputes these claims, arguing investigators should have found some evidence by now considering how long they’ve been probing the water for clues.

Mr Faulding is a leading confined space rescue and forensic search specialist who has worked on high-profile missing persons and “no body” murder investigations, including the cases of serial killer Peter Tobin and a five year-old girl who was abducted and killed in 2012, April Jones.

Read more:

Forensics expert brands police investigation into missing dog walker a ‘mess’

Timeline of events in the case of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley

Sunday 5 February 2023 16:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Nicola Bulley’s family and friends have questioned a police theory that the missing dog walker fell in a river.

The search for mother-of-two has now run for more than a week.

In a Facebook post, Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, urged people to “keep an open mind” as there is “no evidence whatsoever” that the dog walker fell in the river.

She said: “Off the back of the latest Police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it’s just a theory.”

Here is a timeline of events.

Timeline of events in the case of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley

'Vile' theories over missing Nicola Bulley 'incredibly hurtful' for family, friend says

Sunday 5 February 2023 15:45 , Eleanor Noyce

A friend of Nicola Bulley has said that the “vile” theories about her disappearance are “incredibly hurtful” for the family.

“Everyone’s going to have their thoughts, their theories, everyone will be speculating”, Nicola Bulley’s friend Heather Gibbons said on BBC North West Tonight.

“To see some of the vile speculation online, to see some of the theories that are incredibly, incredibly hurtful, I don’t think people are realising that the family are sitting at home and able to access and see all of that”, Ms Gibbons added.

Watch:

Friend of Nicola Bulley shares 11 facts about the case in attempt to dispel online speculation

Sunday 5 February 2023 15:35 , Eleanor Noyce

A close friend of missing 45-year-old Nicola Bulley has shared a plea online in an attempt to dispel misinformation about the case.

Tilly Ann, a close friend of the missing mother of two, has outlined 11 pieces of information she feels the public should know about the investigation. Amidst rampant online discussion about the case, Ms Ann has said it is “disgusting” that she has had to issue this statement to curb online sleuths.

With the permission of Ms Bulley’s “incredibly close” family before posting, she notes that the only CCTV camera “that would have seen everything” is not working.

The 11 facts confirmed by Ms Ann are as follows:

1. Paul Ansell and Nicola Bulley mostly work from home, which is why he was there that day

2. They both do this walk regularly, and Paul is very well-known in the community and very well recognised

3. The dog never has her harness on for a chunk of the walk. Mr Ansell and Ms Bulley remove it at the gate of the top field and then put it back on again when they leave

4. Mr Ansell and Ms Bulley rarely take the ball out for walks with Willow now as she is very protective over it, and it hasn’t made an appearance on walks in a while

5. Ms Bulley would often put her phone on loudspeaker whilst talking

6. Willow, the dog, was found very close to the bench and the harness. The harness was found on the floor, not on the bench

7. Ms Bulley is an incredibly strong swimmer

8. Ms Bulley drove to the school to drop her two daughters off, left her car there and walked to the river

9. The dog was dry when found by a member of the public

10. The dog has since returned

11. There is CCTV at the back of the caravan park. However, the only camera that isn’t working is the one that would have seen everything.

Witness comes forward in Nicola Bulley case as police warn against speculation

Sunday 5 February 2023 15:15 , Eleanor Noyce

A woman described as a “key witness” by police searching for missing mother Nicola Bulley has come forward, as the force warned against “totally unacceptable” speculation and abuse on social media.

On Saturday, officers said they wanted to trace a person in a yellow coat seen pushing a pram in the area near where the dog walker went missing.

In an update on its Facebook page, Lancashire Police said the woman had come forward “very quickly”.

The force added: “We must stress that she was very much being treated as a witness and was one of many people in St Michael’s on Friday, January 27th.

“Our enquiries to find Nicola are extensive and will include speaking to as many members of the public as possible. The speculation and abuse on social media aimed at some people who are merely assisting our enquiry is totally unacceptable.”

Read more:

New witness comes forward in Nicola Bulley case as police warn against speculation

Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s partner speaks for first time since disappearance

Sunday 5 February 2023 14:45 , Eleanor Noyce

The partner of Nicola Bulley has spoken out publicly for the first time since the mother-of-two went missing.

Ms Bulley, 45, a mortgage adviser from Inskip, Lancashire, vanished while walking her dog after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school last Friday morning.

Paul Ansell said: “We’re never going to lose hope, but right now it’s as though she vanished into thin air, it’s just insane.

“I can’t believe we’re a week on and of yet it seems we’re no further on, it seems absolutely impossible. It’s like a dream, I can’t get my head around it.”

Speaking near the scene where the mother-of-two was last seen, Mr Ansell told broadcasters: “My whole focus is my two girls, just staying as strong as I can for them.

Thomas Kingsley reports:

Missing dog walker’s partner speaks for first time since disappearance

Nicola Bulley’s friend says missing mother is ‘kindest soul’

Sunday 5 February 2023 14:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A friend of Nicola Bulley has read a letter written by her daughter to the missing mother-of-two’s family.

The mortgage adviser, disappeared last Friday morning, 27 January, as she walked her dog near the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre.

Emma White was visibly emotional as she read a letter on BBC Breakfast today, a week after Ms Bulley vanished.

“We’re always there for you, we love you so much,” the letter said.

Watch:

Nicola Bulley’s friend says missing mother is ‘kindest soul’

Nicola Bulley's husband is 'on worst rollercoaster of his life', says friend of missing mother

Sunday 5 February 2023 13:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The husband of Nicola Bulley, a mother who has been missing for a week, is on the “worst rollercoaster of his life.”

A friend of the 45-year-old shared what she has seen of Paul’s experience of “perpetual hell” during an interview with Sky News.

“He is desperate to have Niki home, he just wants to know she’s safe and wants her home with the family,” Heather Gibbons said.

Ms Bulley has been missing since last Friday, 27 January, when she took her dog for a walk on a path along the River Wyre at St Michaels on Wyre.

Watch:

Missing Nicola Bulley’s husband ‘on worst rollercoaster of his life’, says friend

Women ‘fearful of going out’ in village where Nicola Bulley vanished

Sunday 5 February 2023 13:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Women are fearful of going out in the village where dog walker Nicola Bulley vanished a week ago, a potential witness traced by police has said.

Christine Bowman, 67, had been identified as a dog walker who may have been one of the last people to see Ms Bulley before her disappearance last Friday morning as she walked her dog near the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

But after Ms Bowman, a retired teacher, was traced following a police appeal, she told the Daily Mirror she had already spoken to officers and “doesn’t know anything”.

She added: “It has made local women fearful. If they have husbands or partners, they have been taking the dogs out instead.”

Read more:

Women ‘fearful of going out’ in village where Nicola Bulley vanished

Nicola Bulley: All the evidence released so far in the case of the missing dog walker

Sunday 5 February 2023 12:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Nicola Bulley, a 45-year-old mother-of-two and mortgage adviser, is still missing a week after she disappeared while out walking her dog after dropping her young daughters off at primary school.

Ms Bulley, originally from Essex but now lives in Inskip, was heading east along the River Wyre in Lancashire with her brown springer spaniel Willow when she vanished near St Michael’s on Wyre at approximately 9.15am on 27 January.

She was seen by at least one fellow dog walker moments before disappearing.

Willow’s lead and harness and Ms Bulley’s mobile phone were subsequently discovered on a nearby bench, the device still connected to a work conference call.

The dog itself was also found shortly after being recognised by a member of the public and reportedly appeared distressed.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

All the evidence released so far in the Nicola Bulley case

Police ‘examining missing dog walker’s Fitbit data’ in hope to retrace last steps

Sunday 5 February 2023 12:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Police are said to be examining the Fitbit of Nicola Bulley as the search for the missing dog walker continues.

The mother-of-two, 45, vanished on 27 January after dropping her children off at school in St Michaels on Wyre, Lancashire. There has been no trace of her since then.

Police have since confirmed that the working hypothesis is that she may have “sadly fallen” into the River Wyre, weighed down by some of the “heavy clothing” she was wearing. Police believe she may have fallen into the water while trying to retrieve a tennis ball for her dog Willow.

Read more:

Police ‘examining missing dog walker’s Fitbit data’ in hope to retrace last steps

Map outlines missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s last known movements

Sunday 5 February 2023 11:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Mother-of-two Nicola Bulley remains missing a week after she disappeared while out walking her springer spaniel Willow.

The 45-year-old mortgage adviser had just dropped off her daughters, aged six and nine, at primary school before setting out east along a towpath by the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on 27 January.

She was seen by at least one fellow dog walker moments prior to vanishing.

Last spotted at approximately 9.15am, Ms Bulley has been described by Lancashire Police as a 5 ft 3in white woman with light brown shoulder-length hair wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive green ankle wellington boots.

Her hair was in a ponytail at the time of her disappearance.

Joe Sommerlad has more:

Map outlines missing Nicola Bulley’s last known movements

Mystery of mother who vanished during a work conference call

Sunday 5 February 2023 11:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Walking your dog, going for a coffee, popping out for a run: all normal activities carried out daily with minimal issue.

However, for mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, a walk along the River Wyre has turned into a sizable mystery sparking a missing person investigation after the 45-year-old vanished off Garstang Road in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, leaving just her Spaniel.

Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell, speaking from the family home in Inskip, Lancashire, said he spent all of Sunday searching for the mother-of-two.

The engineer, who has been in a relationship with Ms Bulley for 12 years, said: “It is just perpetual hell. It is just utter disbelief.

“We are living through this but it doesn’t feel real. All we can say is we need to find her. She’s got two little girls that need their mummy home.”

Thomas Kingsley reports:

Nicola Bulley: Mystery of mortgage adviser who vanished while walking her dog

Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she disappeared revealed

Sunday 5 February 2023 10:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she “vanished into thin air” has been revealed.

The 45-year-old was last seen walking her dog by the river in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on Friday 27 January. She was still logged into a Microsoft Teams call which had ended at 9.30am when her phone was recovered.

Just half an hour earlier, the mother of two had texted a friend to book a playdate. She sent the message at 8.57am shortly before logging into the Teams call, locals at a village meeting were told.

Ms Bulley had just dropped her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on Friday morning.

The last known sighting of Ms Bulley was at 9.10am. Some 25 minutes later, her phone and the dog’s harness were found on a riverside bench. Her springer spaniel, Willow, appeared distressed.

Her Strava account shows that the route where she was last seen was one she frequently used, as she often shared photos of her riverside runs with Willow.

Read more:

Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she disappeared revealed

Map outlines missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s last known movements

Sunday 5 February 2023 10:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Mother-of-two Nicola Bulley remains missing a week after she disappeared while out walking her springer spaniel Willow.

The 45-year-old mortgage adviser had just dropped off her daughters, aged six and nine, at primary school before setting out east along a towpath by the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on 27 January.

She was seen by at least one fellow dog walker moments prior to vanishing.

Last spotted at approximately 9.15am, Ms Bulley has been described by Lancashire Police as a 5 ft 3in white woman with light brown shoulder-length hair wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive green ankle wellington boots.

Her hair was in a ponytail at the time of her disappearance.

More here:

Map outlines missing Nicola Bulley’s last known movements

Timeline of events in the case of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley

Sunday 5 February 2023 09:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Nicola Bulley’s family and friends have questioned a police theory that the missing dog walker fell in a river.

The search for mother-of-two has now run for more than a week.

In a Facebook post, Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, urged people to “keep an open mind” as there is “no evidence whatsoever” that the dog walker fell in the river.

She said: “Off the back of the latest Police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it’s just a theory.”

Here is a timeline of events:

Timeline of events in the case of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley

Unanswered questions over missing dog walker mystery as family dispute police theory

Sunday 5 February 2023 09:00 , Eleanor Noyce

The disappearance of Nicola Bulley has puzzled police since she was last seen on the morning of 27 January.

The mother-of-two disappeared while on her regular dog walk in the quiet village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

Dropping her children off at school, she took her spaniel Willow for a stroll by the river and was sighted at around 9am by a witness but despite an extensive search, she has yet to be found.

In a police conference held on February 3, Lancashire Police stated that their main working hypothesis was that Ms Bulley “fell” into the river, and was “not suspicious”, but the “tragic case of a missing person.”

But Ms Bulley’s family contest that idea and as the mystery continues, we look at unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance.

Read more:

Unanswered questions over missing dog walker mystery as family dispute police theory

Police ‘examining missing dog walker’s Fitbit data’ in hope to retrace last steps

Sunday 5 February 2023 08:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Police are said to be examining the Fitbit of Nicola Bulley as the search for the missing dog walker intensifies.

The mother-of-two, 45, went missing on 27 January after dropping her children off at school in St Michaels on Wyre, Lancashire. There has been no trace of her since then.

Police have since confirmed that the working hypothesis is that she may have “sadly fallen” into the River Wyre, weighed down by some of the “heavy clothing” she was wearing. Police believe she may have fallen into the water while trying to retrieve a tennis ball for her dog Willow.

Ms Bulley’s friend Emma White said the police were now working to get data from Ms Bulley’s Fitbit watch.

“The Fitbit had not been synced since Tuesday,” she said in an interview with The Sun.

Read more:

Police ‘examining missing dog walker’s Fitbit data’ in hope to retrace last steps

Nicola Bulley's friend questions police ‘hypothesis’

Sunday 5 February 2023 08:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Family and friends of Nicola Bulley have questioned a police update suggesting the mother-of-two fell into the river.

“When we are talking about a life we can’t base it on a hypothesis - surely we need this factual evidence,” friend Emma White told Sky News.

Watch:

Nicola Bulley friend questions police ‘hypothesis’ and says ‘factual evidence’ needed

Aerial footage shows where Nicola Bulley is feared to have fallen in river

Sunday 5 February 2023 07:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Aerial footage shows the location where police fear Nicola Bulley could have fallen into the River Wyre.

The mother-of-two disappeared last Friday, 27 January, after she went for a walk along a river path at St Michaels on Wyre.

Watch:

Aerial footage shows where Nicola Bulley is feared to have fallen in river

Women ‘fearful of going out’ in village where Nicola Bulley vanished

Sunday 5 February 2023 07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Women are fearful of going out in the village where dog walker Nicola Bulley vanished a week ago, a potential witness traced by police has said.

Christine Bowman, 67, had been identified as a dog walker and was traced following a police appeal, she told the Daily Mirror she had already spoken to officers and “doesn’t know anything”.

She added: “It has made local women fearful. If they have husbands or partners, they have been taking the dogs out instead.”

Read this PA report:

Women ‘fearful of going out’ in village where Nicola Bulley vanished

ICYMI: Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she disappeared revealed

Sunday 5 February 2023 06:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she “vanished into thin air” has been revealed.

Just half an hour earlier, the mother of two had texted a friend to book a playdate.

She sent the message at 8.57am shortly before logging into the Teams call, locals at a village meeting were told.

Read here:

Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she disappeared revealed

Map outlines missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s last known movements

Sunday 5 February 2023 06:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Mother-of-two Nicola Bulley remains missing a week after she disappeared while out walking her springer spaniel Willow.

She was seen by at least one fellow dog walker moments prior to vanishing.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Map outlines missing Nicola Bulley’s last known movements

Missing dogwalker’s sister disputes police theory

Sunday 5 February 2023 05:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The sister of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley has disputed police claims that the 45-year-old “fell in the river”.

Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, has urged the public to “keep an open mind” in a social media post on Friday evening, adding that there is “no evidence” that her sister fell into the water.

“Off the back of the latest police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it’s just a theory,” she wrote on social media.

Eleanor Noyce has more:

Missing dogwalker’s sister disputes police theory that she fell in river

Police say speculations on social media 'unacceptable'

Sunday 5 February 2023 05:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Lancashire Police probing the disappearance of Nicola Bulley have said that speculation on social media is “unacceptable.”

“The speculation and abuse on social media aimed at some people who are merely assisting our enquiry is totally unacceptable,” the force said in a Facebook update.

“We would urge people to remember that we are investigating the disappearance of Nicola, and the priority is Nicola and her family. We want to find her and provide answers to her family.”

Earlier Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, urged people on social media to “keep an open mind” as there is “no evidence whatsoever” that the dog walker fell in the river as claimed by the police.

Timeline of dog walker’s mysterious disappearance

Sunday 5 February 2023 04:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The last known movements of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley have been revealed by police.

Nicola Bulley, 45, a mortgage advisor, was last seen on Friday morning at around 9.20am while walking her dog alongside the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

Here we take a look at her last known movements:

Timeline of Nicola Bulley’s mysterious disappearance

'Key witness' comes forward

Sunday 5 February 2023 04:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

A woman described as a “key witness” by police searching for missing dog walker Nicola Bulley has come forward.

This after officers said on Saturday that they wanted to trace a person seen pushing a pram in the area near where the dog walker went missing.

In an update on its Facebook page, Lancashire Police said the woman had come forward “very quickly”.

“We must stress that she was very much being treated as a witness and was one of many people in St Michael’s on Friday 27 January.

5 unanswered questions over missing dog walker mystery

Sunday 5 February 2023 03:31 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The disappearance of Nicola Bulley has puzzled police since she was last seen on the morning of 27 January.

In a news conference held on 3 February, Lancashire Police stated that their main working hypothesis was that Ms Bulley “fell” into the river, and that the incident was “not suspicious”, but the “tragic case of a missing person.”

But Ms Bulley’s family contest that idea and as the mystery continues, we look at unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance.

Read more:

Unanswered questions over missing dog walker mystery as family dispute police theory

Police reveal what Nicola Bulley was wearing before she vanished

Sunday 5 February 2023 02:03 , Andy Gregory

Police have revealed the clothes Nicola Bulley was last seen wearing before she disappeared.

“I do have an update on the clothing that Nicola was last seen wearing, and this is something that the public who live in the area, or who walk their dogs on the river path near to St Michael’s or downstream of St Michael’s towards Morecambe Bay, can look out for,” Superintendent Sally Riley told Friday’s press conference.

“They are an ankle-length black quilted gilet jacket, a black Engelbert Strauss waist-length coat which was worn underneath the gilet, tight-fitting black jeans, long green walking socks tucked into her jeans, ankle-length green Next wellies, a necklace and a pale blue Fitbit.

“It’s really important that the public pay heed to those very specific clothing descriptions please, because factual sightings of those items would be very useful to us.”

Watch: Friend says ‘factual evidence’ needed as she questions police ‘hypothesis’

Sunday 5 February 2023 00:59 , Andy Gregory

Nicola Bulley’s partner speaks for first time since disappearance

Sunday 5 February 2023 00:18 , Andy Gregory

The partner of Nicola Bulley has spoken out publicly for the first time since the mother-of-two went missing.

Paul Ansell said: “We’re never going to lose hope, but right now it’s as though she vanished into thin air, it’s just insane.”

My colleague Thomas Kingsley has more details:

Missing dog walker’s partner speaks for first time since disappearance

Police ‘examining missing dog walker’s Fitbit data’ in hope to retrace last steps

Saturday 4 February 2023 22:27 , Andy Gregory

A friend of Nicola Bulley’s has said that police are working to get data from the missing dog walker’s Fitbit.

“The Fitbit had not been synced since Tuesday,” Emma White told The Sun. “The police are trying other ways to try to get information from it.”

You can read more details here.

Nicola Bulley's friend Emma White appears on BBC Breakfast (screengrab)
Nicola Bulley's friend Emma White appears on BBC Breakfast (screengrab)

Timeline of dog walker’s mysterious disappearance

Saturday 4 February 2023 21:24 , Andy Gregory

The police have offered this timeline of Nicola Bulley’s last-known movements:

8.43am – Nicola walked along the path by the River Wyre, having dropped her children off at school

8:50am (approximately) - A dog-walker – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her walking around the lower field with her dog. Their two dogs interacted briefly before the witness left the field via the river path

8.53am – She sent an email to her boss

9.01am – She logged into a Teams call

9.10am (approximately) – A witness – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her on the upper field walking her dog, Willow. Work is ongoing today to establish exactly what time this was.

9.30am – The Teams call ended but Nicola stayed logged on

9.35am (approximately) – Nicola’s mobile phone and Willow were found at a bench by the river by another dog-walker.

Full details as police seek third witness to help find Nicola Bulley

Saturday 4 February 2023 20:15 , Thomas Kingsley

Lancashire Police said: “Officers leading the search for Nicola Bulley who is missing in St Michael’s on Wyre need to trace a key witness who they believe was in the area on the morning of Nicola’s disappearance.

“A woman was seen walking on Garstang Road/Blackpool Road, St Michael’s on the morning of Friday 27 January pushing a pram.

“She was seen walking from the direction of Allotment Lane towards the Grapes public house at approximately 8.22am and is seen again walking on Allotment Lane towards Garstang Road at 8.41am.

“It is believed that the female in question may have walked along the river path during these times and so detectives want to speak to her and urge her to get in touch.

“We are also appealing to anyone who was driving down Blackpool Lane/Garstang Lane on the morning of Friday 27th January between the times of 9am and 10am who has dash cam footage on their vehicles to make contact.”

Mapped: Where was Nicola Bulley last sighted?

Saturday 4 February 2023 19:44 , Andy Gregory

 (Lancashire Police)
(Lancashire Police)

CCTV image shows ‘key witness’ being sought by police

Saturday 4 February 2023 18:54 , Andy Gregory

Here is the CCTV picture of the person to whom police are appealing for information:

 (Lancashire Police handout)
(Lancashire Police handout)

Police searching for missing dog walker appealing for third ‘key witness’

Saturday 4 February 2023 18:32 , Andy Gregory

Police searching for Nicola Bulley are seeking a “key witness” who they believe was in the area on the morning of her disappearance.

The witness is a woman seen pushing a pram on the morning Ms Bulley went missing.

“It is believed that the female in question may have walked along the river path during these times and so detectives want to speak to her and urge her to get in touch,” Lancashire Constabulary said.

My colleague Thomas Kingsley has the breaking story here:

Police searching for missing dog walker appealing for third ‘key witness’

Unanswered questions over missing dog walker mystery

Saturday 4 February 2023 17:04 , Andy Gregory

Lancashire Police have stated that their main working hypothesis is that Nicola Bulley “fell” into the river, and that her disappearance was “not suspicious”, but the “tragic case of a missing person.”

But as Ms Bulley’s family contest that idea, my colleague Eleanor Noyce has taken a look at the unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance:

Unanswered questions over missing dog walker mystery as family dispute police theory

Nicola Bulley: Friend says ‘factual evidence’ needed as she questions police ‘hypothesis’

Saturday 4 February 2023 15:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Family and friends of Nicola Bulley have questioned a police update suggesting the mother-of-two fell into the river.

Officers believe Ms Bulley, 45, “sadly” fell into the River Wyre while walking her dog last Friday but are continuing the search.

“When we are talking about a life we can’t base it on a hypothesis - surely we need this factual evidence,” friend Emma White told Sky News.

“We still have no evidence and that’s why we’re out together in force. You don’t base life on a hypothesis.”

Oliver Browning reports:

Nicola Bulley friend questions police ‘hypothesis’ and says ‘factual evidence’ needed