Yahoo News Nicola Bulley – latest news: Police say ‘key witness’ has come forward
A woman described as a “key witness” by police searching for missing dog walker Nicola Bulley has come forward.
On Saturday officers said 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” 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 idea.
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
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
'Key witness' comes forward
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.
'Vile' theories over missing Nicola Bulley 'incredibly hurtful' for family, friend says
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
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
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
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’
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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’
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
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
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
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
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
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'
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
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
5 unanswered questions over missing dog walker mystery
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
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’
00:59 , Andy Gregory
Nicola Bulley’s partner speaks for first time since disappearance
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.
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
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:
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
How have police been investigating Nicola Bulley’s disappearance?
Saturday 4 February 2023 14:30 , Eleanor Noyce
In a press conference held on Friday afternoon, Lancashire Police confirmed that their working hypothesis on 45-year-old Nicola Bulley’s disappearance is that “for whatever reason”, she fell into the river.
Police are confident that Ms Bulley has not left the field where she was last seen. They believe that nothing untoward has happened to her, and do not suspect third-party involvement.
But what has the inquiry into Ms Bulley’s disappearance involved, and how have police conducted their investigation?
The work has included:
Extensive and thorough searches of the river and footpaths by specialist police search teams and partner agencies including HM Coastguard, mountain rescue and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. Resources have included specialist search dogs, drone, police helicopter and divers. These searches are continuing.
A team of detectives working behind the scenes analysing telephony, house to house, CCTV, dashcam and carrying out other digital enquiries and examining information coming into the inquiry
Several public appeals for information and to trace witnesses. Key witnesses have all now been traced.
Ms Bulley was last seen on January 27 at around 9.20am on the footpath by the river off Garstang Road.
Anybody who has seen Nicola Bulley, or has information about where she might be, is asked to call 101, quoting log 565 of January 30. For immediate sightings, please call 999.
Women ‘fearful of going out’ in village where Nicola Bulley vanished
Saturday 4 February 2023 14:00 , 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.”
Lancashire Police, who have launched a huge search operation, said that despite “unanswered questions”, people should not “speculate or spread false rumours” about the disappearance.
Read more:
Women ‘fearful of going out’ in village where Nicola Bulley vanished
Police reveal what missing dog walker Nicola Bulley was wearing before she vanished
Saturday 4 February 2023 13:30 , Eleanor Noyce
Police have revealed the clothes missing dog walker Nicola Bulley was last seen wearing before she disappeared.
Holding a press conference on Friday afternoon, Lancashire Police said they believe thatMs Bulley fell into the River Wyre. This incident is “not suspicious” but a “tragic case of a missing person,” the force said.
Superintendent Sally Riley gave a list of clothing and accessories police are searching for in connection with Ms Bulley.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
Read more:
Police reveal what missing dog walker Nicola Bulley was wearing before she vanished
The final email and an abandoned Teams call: Timeline of dog walker’s mysterious disappearance
Saturday 4 February 2023 13:00 , Eleanor Noyce
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.
She had just dropped off two her daughters, aged six and nine, at the local school in the village.
Ms Bulley’s phone was found, apparently still engaged on a work call, on a park bench nearby, along with the harness and lead for her dog, Willow, a springer spaniel.
Her parents, Ernest and Dot Bulley, have since spoken of their “dread” at the thought of never seeing her again, and of hearing their grandchildren “sobbing” after being told “mummy is lost”.
Here, Matt Mathers takes a look at her last known movements:
Timeline of Nicola Bulley’s mysterious disappearance
Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she disappeared revealed
Saturday 4 February 2023 12:30 , 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.
Read more:
Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she disappeared revealed
Mystery of mother who vanished during a work conference call
Saturday 4 February 2023 12:00 , 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.
Emergency crews including Lancashire Fire and Rescue, Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue team and the North West Underwater Search Team have joined the investigation, while Lancashire Police have spoken to two potential witnesses.
An unknown man aged around 70, white, 6ft tall, well-built, who was walking a small white fluffy dog on a lead, is believed to have been in the area around the time Ms Bulley disappeared.
The second potential witness was spotted on CCTV at 8:48am close to the area where Ms Bulley was last seen. She was also walking a small, white dog and is described as wearing a red and white coat with a fur hood, and a bobble hat. Police said they had traced both witnesses.
Thomas Kingsley reports:
Nicola Bulley: Mystery of mortgage adviser who vanished while walking her dog
Friends call for ‘factual evidence’ rather than hypothesis
Saturday 4 February 2023 11:40 , Sam Rkaina
What have the police been doing to find her?
Saturday 4 February 2023 11:06 , Sam Rkaina
Lancashire Police provided an update on the search efforts on Friday.
“It’s now a week since the mum of two went missing and since last Friday we have been carrying out extensive searches in the area along with many other inquiries in the background,” a statement said, before listing the latest activities.
Extensive and thorough searches of the river and footpaths by specialist police search teams and partner agencies including HM Coastguard, mountain rescue and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. Resources have included specialist search dogs, drone, police helicopter and divers. These searches are continuing.
A team of detectives working behind the scenes analysing telephony, house to house, CCTV, dashcam and carrying out other digital enquiries and examining information coming into the inquiry
Several public appeals for information and to trace witnesses. Key witnesses have all now been traced. We are grateful to the media for all their coverage and to the community for their help, information and support.
The police theory explained
Saturday 4 February 2023 10:24 , Sam Rkaina
Police believe the 45-year-old mortgage adviser went missing in just “a 10-minute window” while she was walking her dog, Willow, close to the River Wyre, after dropping off her daughters – aged six and nine – at school.
Ms Bulley had logged in to a Microsoft Teams call at 9.01am, which ended at 9.30am with her phone still connected to the call.
She was seen by another dog walker at 9.10am – the last known sighting – and police traced telephony records of her mobile phone as it remained on a bench overlooking the river at 9.20am.
The device was found by a dog walker at around 9.35am, with Willow nearby.
The police search has been aided by specialists and divers from HM Coastguard, mountain rescue, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service – with sniffer dogs, drones and police helicopters deployed.
Detectives are also working behind the scenes to analyse CCTV and dashcam videos, and members of the public with footage which could be useful have been urged to come forward.
Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s friend disputes that a ball was taken on the walk
Saturday 4 February 2023 10:00 , Eleanor Noyce
In an interview with Sky News, Nicola Bulley’s close friend Emma White disputed that a ball had been taken on the dog walk. She describes how the spaniel would often “pester” for it, so Ms Bulley made the decision to stop using it.
“Willow used to love a tennis ball, but it used to disturb the walk so they haven’t had the tennis ball since way into last year”, Ms White confirmed. “There was definitely no ball.”
In an interview with MailOnline, Superintendent Sally Riley said that police were looking at all scenarios. However, she admitted that it was “possible” that Ms Bulley fell into the river whilst trying to recover a tennis ball for her dog close to the water’s edge.
Ms White is similarly critical of the Lancashire Police claims, expressing that it was a disappointment for Friday’s press conference to be based purely on hypothesis rather than confirmed facts.
“When we’re talking about a life, we can’t base it on a hypothesis,” she said. “Surely we need this factual evidence.”
Lancashire Police stated on Friday that they believe Ms Bulley is likely to have gone into the water in St Michael’s on Wyre whilst walking her dog. Substantial CCTV in the surrounding areas has ruled out that Ms Bulley left the park via the majority of the gates.
Read more:
Missing dogwalker’s sister disputes police theory that she fell in river
Nicola Bulley’s friend says missing mother is ‘kindest soul’
Saturday 4 February 2023 09:30 , Sam Rkaina
A friend of Nicola Bulley has read a letter written by her daughter to the missing mother-of-two’s family.
“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’
Missing dogwalker’s sister disputes police theory that she fell in river
Saturday 4 February 2023 08:58 , Sam Rkaina
The sister of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley has disputed police claims that the 45-year-old “fell in the river.”
Lancashire Police stated in a press conference held on Friday afternoon that they believe Ms Bulley is likely to have gone into the water in St Michael’s on Wyre whilst walking her dog.
The theory supposes that the mother fell during a 10-minute window, as police do not believe there is any criminal or third-party involvement.
However, Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, has questioned the idea. 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.
Click here for the full story.
All the evidence released so far in the case of the missing dog walker
Saturday 4 February 2023 08:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta
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.
Here’s a brief overview of the information released so far as the investigation continues:
All the evidence released so far in the Nicola Bulley case
Everything we know so far about Nicola Bulley
Saturday 4 February 2023 08:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Police are continuing with a major search for Nicola Bulley, the missing mother-of-two who disappeared one week ago.
Here is everything we know so far:
Everything we know so far as mother vanishes while walking dog
Who is Nicola Bulley?
Saturday 4 February 2023 07:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Nicola Bulley is a 45-year-old mortgage adviser and mother-of-two who has been missing since last Friday.
Ms Bulley is from Inskip, Lancashire, and is described as white, 5ft 3in, with light brown shoulder-length hair.
She was last seen near the river at around 9.20am last Friday morning, after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at the school in the village.
Her mobile phone and dog were later found by a bench by another dog-walker.
A major search has been launched to find Ms Bulley, utilising a police helicopter, drones, sniffer dogs and diving teams.
On Friday Lancashire Police said they believe that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre.
This incident is “not suspicious” but a “tragic case of a missing person,” the force said.
Timeline of events in the case of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley
Saturday 4 February 2023 07:00 , Joe Middleton
The search for mother-of-two Nicola Bulley has now been ongoing for a week, as police work on the hypothesis that she may have fallen into the River Wyre while walking her dog.
Here is a timeline of how their findings have developed, and what Ms Bulley’s friends and family have said since the day she disappeared.
Timeline of events in the case of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley
RECAP: Latest details on missing Nicola Bulley
Saturday 4 February 2023 06:40 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Police have released new details relating to missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.
On Friday Lancashire Police said they believe that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre.
This incident is “not suspicious” but a “tragic case of a missing person,” the force said.
Superintendent Sally Riley gave a list of clothing and accessories police are searching for in connection with Ms Bulley.
“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,” she said.
RECAP: Latest details on missing Nicola Bulley
Saturday 4 February 2023 06:39 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Police have released new details relating to missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.
On Friday Lancashire Police said they believe that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre.
This incident is “not suspicious” but a “tragic case of a missing person,” the force said.
Superintendent Sally Riley gave a list of clothing and accessories police are searching for in connection with Ms Bulley.
“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,” she said.
