Nicola Bulley: Lead detective says Lancashire Police are doing all they can to find missing mother as search enters its second week

Nicola Bulley, from Inskip, was last seen on a towpath by the River Wyre off Garstang Road in St Michael’s on Wyre at around 9.15am on Friday (January 27).

An extensive police search was launched following the 45-year-old's disappearance, but no trace of her has been found.

Police on Monday (February 6) said their working hypothesis remains that Ms Bulley fell into the river, possibly while dealing with an issue with her dog.

The force added they remain open minded and are continuing to carry out a number of enquiries.

“Our priority throughout this investigation has been on finding Nicola and providing answers for her family,” a spokesman for Lancashire Police said.

“They are being supported by specially trained officers.”

What has her family said?

In a statement released on February 6, Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell said: “It’s been ten days now since Nicola went missing and I have two little girls who miss their mummy desperately and who need her back.

“This has been such a tough time for the girls especially but also for me and all of Nicola’s family and friends, as well as the wider community and I want to thank them for their love and support.

“We are also really grateful to Peter and his team from SGI for coming up and helping support the work of Lancashire Police as they continue their investigation.

“If anyone has any information which could help find Nicola, I urge them to get in touch with the police and help us provide the answers we all so badly need.”

What is being done to find Ms Bulley?

An extensive police search was launched following the 45-year-old's disappearance, but no trace of her has been found.

The river and riverbank has been searched all the way up to the sea using specialist search teams, sonar, search dogs, drones and helicopters.

Officers have also conducted door-to-door enquiries, spoken to numerous witnesses, analysed Nicola’s mobile phone and Fitbit, as well as searching a derelict house and any empty caravans in the vicinity.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “We have received a huge amount of information into the enquiry, all of which is being looked at, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has assisted our investigation so far.

“We would like to remind people that much of the speculation and comments on social media are both unhelpful to the investigation and, more importantly, hurtful for the family, who are going through agony as they wait for answers.”

Ten days after her disappearance, a private diving team arrived to sweep the River Wyre with state of the art equipment.

Forensic expert Peter Faulding, founder and chief executive of Specialist Group International, said he was confident his team would find Ms Bulley if she did fall into the River Wyre.

Police confident Nicola did not leave the field

Police said their CCTV enquiries have focused on Nicola’s movements and whether she could have left the fields near to the river.

A spokesman for the force said: “Most of our sightings of Nicola have been by witnesses who knew her and that has enabled us to plot her movements from the school, along the river path and into the field,” a spokesman said.

“We can say with confidence that by reviewing CCTV, Nicola has not left the field during the key times via Rowanwater, either through the site itself or via the piece of land at the side.

“Also, we can say that she did not return from the fields along Allotment Lane or via the path at the rear of the Grapes pub onto Garstang Road.”

Officers said their enquiries will now focus on the river path which leads from the fields back to Garstang Road

“For that we need drivers and cyclists who travelled that way on the morning of January 27 to make contact,” the spokesman added.

“We have already done a lot of work around this, but every piece of footage helps us build up a picture of movements on that morning.

“We will be making contact with drivers, who we believe were travelling down Garstang Road that morning via letter.

“I you receive one of these letters and have dashcam footage, we would urge you to make contact using the dedicated email [email protected] so that a member of the enquiry team can make contact and review your footage to establish whether it assists.

“We would ask that only drivers that do have dashcam footage reply to this request.”

What has Lancashire Police said?

Det Supt Rebecca Smith said: “The team working on this investigation are completely dedicated and determined to find Nicola.

“As a mother myself, I can’t even begin to imagine what her two children are going through.

“Please be reassured that our sole focus is Nicola and that we are doing everything we can to find her.

“It is not possible to provide every piece of information to the public because to do so would detract from the investigation, but I’d like to thank everyone who has assisted us so far and for the support provided to Nicola’s family at this extremely difficult time.

“They are being supported and updated throughout.

“I would ask that anyone who was driving/cycling through St Michael’s last Friday morning and who has dashcam footage to get in touch with us if they haven’t already done so. I would also ask any fisherman who may have been in the area at the time to make contact if you feel you can assist.

“I would also appeal again to anyone who has any other footage – CCTV or Ring Doorbell for example, or any other information, no matter how insignificant you might think it is, to contact us as every small piece can help us build up a picture.”

Anybody who has seen Nicola, or has information about where she might be, is asked to call 101, quoting log 565 of January 30.

For immediate sightings call 999.