Nicola Bulley – latest: Rumours and conspiracies theories rife as police hit out at TikTok detectives

Social media sleuths have “distracted” the investigation into missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, police have said.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Lancashire Police said “TikTokers have been playing private detectives” near the scene of the 45-year-old’s disappearance.

Detective superintendent Rebecca Smith said investigating officers have been “inundated with false information, accusations and rumours” relating to the case.

Asked if “social media video-makers and wannabe detectives have been an annoyance or a hindrance in the inquiry”, she said: “Yes, it has significantly distracted the investigation. In 29 years’ police service I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Ms Bulley vanished in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre on 27 January while walking her dog, Willow, after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school.

At the press conference in Hutton on Wednesday, Ms Smith said her “main working hypothesis” remains that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre.

Detectives also judged Ms Bulley to be at high-risk when she was reported missing due to “specific vulnerabilities” they were made aware of, police have revealed.

Key Points

• TikTok detectives spreading conspiracies ‘distracting’ Nicola Bulley search, police say

• Nicola Bulley deemed high risk due to ‘specific vulnerabilities’

• Police recovered ‘stained glove’ from field where Bulley was last seen

• Nicola Bulley’s partner is ‘frustrated’ with police investigation

• Police speak to fishermen over Nicola Bulley disappearance

Nicola Bulley deemed high risk due to ‘specific vulnerabilities’

12:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Detectives judged Nicola Bulley to be at high-risk when she was reported missing due to “specific vulnerabilities” they were made aware of, police have revealed.

In a bid to address the intense media online speculation – and criticism of its investigation – Lancashire Police held a press conference on Wednesday to shed light on “exactly we have done over the last 19 days”.

“As soon as she was reported missing, following the information that was provided to the police by her partner Paul, and based on a number of specific vulnerabilities that we were made aware of, Nicola was graded as high-risk,” said Detective Superintendent Becky Smith, who is leading the investigation.

“That is normal in a missing person investigation with the information we were in possession of.”

Nicola Bulley deemed high risk due to ‘specific vulnerabilities’

TikTok detectives spreading conspiracies ‘distracting’ Nicola Bulley search, police say

14:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Social media sleuths have “distracted” the investigation into missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, police have said.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Lancashire Police said “TikTokers have been playing private detectives” near the scene of the 45-year-old’s disappearance.

Detective superintendent Rebecca Smith said investigating officers have been “inundated with false information, accusations and rumours” relating to the case.

Ms Bulley vanished in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre on 27 January while walking her dog, Willow, after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school.

At the press conference in Hutton on Wednesday, Ms Smith said her “main working hypothesis” remains that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre.

TikTok detectives spreading conspiracies ‘distracting’ Nicola Bulley search

What are Nicola Bulley’s ‘specific vulnerabilities’?

14:12 , Lucy Skoulding

Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley had “specific vulnerabilities”, Lancashire Police confirmed in a press conference today.

In a press conference held today, senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith said Ms Bulley was graded as a “high-risk” missing person when she was reported missing on 27 January.

When applied to adults who are at risk, specific vulnerabilities refer to mental ill health, substance misuse or isolation, according to the College of Policing.

It can also relate to committing or assisting in the commission of crimes because it is known the person may be easier to groom, manipulate and threaten, and as a victim, they may be less likely to report their experience.

Read the full story by Independent reporter Martha McHardy.

Lead detective ‘cannot be 100% certain” Nicola has fallen into river

12:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith, the lead investigator in the Nicola Bulley case, said: “I have told you that my working hypothesis is, at the moment, through all the information that we have gathered, that the likelihood is that Nicola has unfortunately gone in the river.

“However, I have to stress this because this has been continually misconstrued, I cannot be 100% certain of that at the minute because we are continuing, it’s a live investigation, and there is always information coming in.

“But we are in the 20th day, we have had a thorough, dedicated, meticulous investigation and there is not one single piece of information that’s come to note that would suggest that Nicola has left those fields.”

‘Likelihood is that Nicola has gone into the river,’ senior detective says

12:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

When asked how confident she is that Nicola Bulley will be found alive, senior investigating officer Rebecca Smith said: “I hope with all my heart that we find Nicola Bulley alive, more than anything.”

But when pressed, Ms Smith said that the likelihood is that “Nicola has gone into the river”.

However, she said she cannot be 100 per cent sure as the case is an ongoing investigation.

Senior detective debunks some common theories

12:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Addresssing some theories of where Nicola Bulley could be, the senior detective Rebecca Smith flagged that a derelict house across the river has been searched three times, with nothing found.

She said the police have made numerous appeals to fisherman who were reportedly seen the previous day. However, Ms Smith said she does not believe the fisherman are suspicious, but still wants to speak with them.

Ms Smith also addressed the recovered stained glove, but said there was nothing suspicious about it.

12:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Speaking at a press conference at Lancashire Police headquarters on Wednesday, Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson said: “I would emphasise that it remains the case there is no evidence to indicate a criminal aspect or third party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance.

“However, the officers involved in the investigation are the same experienced specialists and many senior officers who are concerned with the investigation of the most serious and complex crimes.”

There is still “no evidence to indicate a criminal aspect or third party involvement” in Nicola Bulley’s disappearance, police say.

Nicola was holding her phone in her hand as she listened in to Teams call

12:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith said that Nicola Bulley was holding her phone in her hand as she listened to the Teams call, as seen by a witness the morning of her disappearance.

The senior investigating officer stressed this point to address queries about why the phone was on a bench, rather than in Ms Bulley’s pocket.

No one on Teams call would have been able to hear what happened, senior investigating officer says

12:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The senior investigating officer has said that no one else on the Teams call would have been able to hear or see what happened to Nicola Bulley during the duration of her work call.

Main hypothesis is Nicola Bulley fell into the river, senior investigating officer says

12:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The senior investigating officer on the case has clarified that her main working hypothesis continues to be that Nicola Bulley had fallen into the river.

‘No evidence’ to suggest criminal aspect or third party involved in disappearance

11:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Assistant chief constable Peter Lawson said “there is no evidence” to indicate a criminal element or third person party is involved in the disappearance of Nicola Bulley.

Mr Lawson said police have visited over 300 premises, spoken to over 300 people and given over 1,500 pieces of information.

They have used specialist resources from police and a range of other agencies in their search.

Conference will address the speculation and criticism towards the police

11:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Peter Lawson, assistant chief constable, said they will give more details about what they have done in the last 19 days in order to address continuous speculation and criticism on the search.

Lancashire Police press conference begins

11:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Lancashire Police have started their press conference on the disappearance of Nicola Bulley.

Stay tuned for live updates.

Former detectives share 8 key clues that could hold the key to Nicola Bulley’s disappearance

10:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Former detectives have shared eight key areas they think police should be investigating in order to gain insights into Nicola Bulley’s disappearance.

The search for the mother-of-two has entered its third week and despite combing the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, opening more than 500 lines of inquiry and looking all the way to Morecambe Bay, police are still at a loss as to what happened to Ms Bulley.

Lancashire Constabulary over the weekend expanded their search to include the 24 hours before the last sighting of Ms Bulley, which came as she walked her dog Willow on a route she used regularly.

Liam James reports:

Ex-detectives share 8 key clues in Nicola Bulley disappearance from fitbit to phone

Nicola Bulley police ‘took two weeks’ to question local fishermen

09:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Police investigating missing dog-walker Nicola Bulley’s disappearance reportedly took more than two weeks to question local fishermen for their eyewitness accounts.

Ms Bulley disappeared while walking her springer spaniel Willow along the river in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, after she dropped her two daughters – aged six and nine – at school on 27 January.

One witness has described seeing two men with fishing rods acting suspiciously in the area the morning before Ms Bulley went missing, saying they didn’t appear to be carrying any bait or tackle and tried to cover their faces as they walked past.

Yet investigators only approached the local fishing club in St Michael’s Wyre this Tuesday, asking questions about those having permits to be on the River Wyre on the day Ms Bulley went missing, one fisherman has told The Times.

Namita Singh reports:

Nicola Bulley police ‘took two weeks’ to question local fishermen

What time is the Nicola Bulley press conference today?

08:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Police will hold a press conference about the ongoing search for missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley as they seek to combat disinformation about her disappearance.

The briefing will take place at 11.30am as speculation about what might have happened to her has continued to grow in the 19 days since she vanished.

Ms Bulley disappeared while walking her springer spaniel Willow in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, after she dropped her two daughters – aged six and nine – at school on January 27.

At a press conference on February 3 the force first told the public of its “main working hypothesis” that the mortgage adviser fell in the river during a “10-minute window” between 9.10am and 9.20am that day.

What time is the Nicola Bulley press conference today?

Nicola Bulley’s partner feels ‘lack of willpower’ among police investigating disappearance

08:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Nicola Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell spoke out about his growing dissatisfaction with the police’s hunt for the missing mother of two, according to a forensic expert.

Mr Ansell, 44, vented his frustration with forensic expert Peter Faulding whose team is aiding the search, saying he is “frustrated” with police and feels a lack of “imagination and willpower” among them.

Police have been searching for the 45-year-old mortgage adviser who disappeared while walking her dog in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, after dropping off her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.

On Wednesday, the Lancashire police will hold their first press conference in eight days to finally give updates to the family and public as frustration continues to mount over her disappearance.

Shweta Sharma has more:

Nicola Bulley’s partner feels ‘lack of willpower’ among police

Nicola Bulley’s final text before she disappeared revealed

07:30 , Namita Singh

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.

Read this report to find the content of her message:

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

Five things forensics expert claims don’t add up about Nicola Bulley case

07:22 , Namita Singh

A forensic expert leading the underwater search for missing Nicola Bulley has been left “baffled” by “strange” events in the mother’s disappearance.

Peter Faulding, the chief executive of Specialist Group International (SGI) said he “can’t get [his] head around” the fact that the mother of two has not yet been found.

He also warned that a “third party” could be involved, though police have repeatedly stressed they do not suspect foul play.

Read more in this report from Maryam Zakir-Hussain:

5 things Peter Faulding claims don’t add up about missing dog walker disappearance

Former detectives share 8 key clues in Nicola Bulley’s disappearance

07:15 , Namita Singh

Former detectives have shared eight key areas they think police should be investigating in order to gain insights into Nicola Bulley’s disappearance.

The search for the mother-of-two has entered its third week and despite combing the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, opening more than 500 lines of inquiry and looking all the way to Morecambe Bay, police are still at a loss as to what happened to Ms Bulley.

Lancashire Constabulary over the weekend expanded their search to include the 24 hours before the last sighting of Ms Bulley, which came as she walked her dog Willow on a route she used regularly.

Read the details in this report from Liam James:

Ex-detectives share 8 key clues in Nicola Bulley disappearance from fitbit to phone

Mystery over Nicola Bulley’s car keys as partner asks Mercedes to track them

07:07 , Namita Singh

Nicola Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell has appealed to Mercedes for help tracking the missing mother-of-two’s car keys, her friend has revealed.

Police have been searching for the 45-year-old mortgage adviser since she disappeared while walking her dog along the River Wyre after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.

Extensive searches of the river – where police believe Ms Bulley may have fallen in – have so far proven inconclusive, and her disappearance has sparked intense speculation and even vigilante searches.

Read the details here:

Mystery over Nicola Bulley’s car keys as partner Paul asks Mercedes to track them

Nicola Bulley police ‘took two weeks’ to question local fishermen

07:00 , Namita Singh

Police investigating missing dog-walker Nicola Bulley’s disappearance reportedly took more than two weeks to question local fishermen for their eyewitness accounts.

Ms Bulley disappeared while walking her springer spaniel Willow along the river in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, after she dropped her two daughters – aged six and nine – at school on 27 January.

One witness has described seeing two men with fishing rods acting suspiciously in the area the morning before Ms Bulley went missing, saying they didn’t appear to be carrying any bait or tackle and tried to cover their faces as they walked past.

Yet investigators only approached the local fishing club in St Michael’s Wyre this Tuesday.More in this report:

Nicola Bulley police ‘took two weeks’ to question local fishermen

Nicola Bulley’s partner ‘frustrated with police over stalling investigation’

06:50 , Namita Singh

Nicola Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell spoke out about his growing dissatisfaction with the police’s hunt for the missing mother of two, according to a forensic expert.

Mr Ansell, 44, vented his frustration with forensic expert Peter Faulding whose team is aiding the search, saying he is “frustrated” with police and feels a lack of “imagination and willpower” among them.

Police have been searching for the 45-year-old mortgage adviser who disappeared while walking her dog in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, after dropping off her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.

My colleague Shweta Sharma reports:

Nicola Bulley’s partner ‘frustrated with police over stalling investigation’

Map of last known movements

06:30 , Namita Singh

Yellow ribbons for Nicola

06:00 , Sam Rkaina

Yellow ribbons and heart-shaped paper notes adorned with messages of hope and goodwill have been tied to the footbridge in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre.

On Tuesday, next-door neighbour and friend Charlotte Drake tied her own message to the railings, as the police search for missing Nicola Bulley continues.

Nicola Bulley’s partner is ‘frustrated’ with police investigation

05:30 , Namita Singh

Nicola Bulley’s partner has reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made in her search, claimed a forensic search specialist involved in the case.

Paul Ansell, 44, also demanded the authorities to hold a joint press conference last week, but was “absolutely appalled” when they failed to respond to his request, reported Mail Online.

“He’s got a relationship with the police family liaison officers, but I think he’s struggling to get answers that he wants,” forensic expert Peter Faulding was quoted as saying by Mail Online.

“He’s got a line of communication with them, but I think there’s a problem. He vented his frustrations to the family liaison officers last week in front of me when I was there.”

“Paul is just lost, really. He’s got no partner, the kids are missing their mum, and he’s absolutely in pieces.”

Police handed over ‘stained glove’ from field where Bulley was last seen

05:00 , Namita Singh

Officials searching for 45-year-old Nicola Bulley were handed over a “stained glove” from the field where she was last seen in January.

Authorities took away the blue-coloured ski glove from the scene, while continuing their search for the missing mother of two, reported The Telegraph.

Investigators have reiterated that the line of investigation in her disappearance has not changed since the discovery of glove, reported the outlet.

On 7 February, two walkers found the glove yards away from the bench where her mobile phone was recovered.

Dive expert says Nicola Bulley would have been waist deep in river ‘unless she was pushed’

04:30 , Namita Singh

Missing Nicola Bulley would only have landed in “waist-deep” water if she slipped and fell into the river - unless she was pushed, a forensic search expert has claimed.

Peter Faulding, who was drafted in to help police investigate the disappearance of the mother-of-two, believes Ms Bulley would have been able to easily stand up and wait for help rather than being swept away down the River Wyre.

“If she slipped down the bank she wouldn’t go far,” he said. “The rocks would hold her in place and she’d only have been waist deep. She could have stood there and asked for help because people do walk by.”

My colleague Liam James reports:

Dive expert says Nicola Bulley would have been waist deep in river ‘unless pushed’

Timeline of Nicola Bulley’s last known movements

04:00 , Sam Rkaina

A reminder below of the timeline before Ms Bulley vanished.

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 Willow. Work is ongoing 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.

Police to hold a press conference amid ongoing search for Nicola Bulley

03:46 , Namita Singh

Police will hold a press conference about the ongoing search for missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley as they seek to combat disinformation about her disappearance.

The briefing will take place as speculation about what might have happened to her has continued to grow in the 19 days since she vanished.

Ms Bulley disappeared while walking her springer spaniel Willow in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, after she dropped her two daughters - aged six and nine - at school on 27 January.

More in this report:

Police to hold press conference amid ongoing search for Nicola Bulley

Nicola Bulley: Police told to improve comms to stop vigilantes

03:00 , Liam James

Police have told to change the way they communicate with the public in the Nicola Bulley case in order to stop vigilante searches.

Former detective chief inspector Simon Harding told Sky News that police should seek to “reassure other people and stop people going to that scene and taking things into their own hands”.

“It can hinder quite a lot. It really can.

He added: “There are police divers ... who are experts themselves – they don’t necessarily need other people.

“But now come out and say, ‘we’ve done this, we have done this CCTV, we’ve done this researching’ to stop people.

“It’s the messaging, which is the problem for me.”

‘Vile’ Nicola Bulley voicemail sent to local councillor

02:00 , Liam James

Nicola Bulley’s local council has been forced to take steps to protect its members after some received “vile” phone calls over the mother-of-two’s disappearance (Andy Gregory reports).

Wyre Council has now been forced to remove contact details for councillors in Ms Bulley’s local ward of Inskip with Sowerby from its website, after some received a flurry of late-night phone calls.

Five of the parish council’s six members received calls between 12.45am and 3am on Saturday, with all but one simply ringing off as they answered, a council source told The Mirror.

Lancashire Police told The Independent that they were investigating the matter, with a copy of an “offensive” voicemail referencing the missing dog walker being handed to the force.

‘Vile’ Nicola Bulley voicemail sent to local councillor

Police speak to fishermen over Nicola Bulley disappearance

00:50 , Liam James

Lancashire Police is understood to have contacted an angling club yesterday to ask who was allowed to fish on the river on the day of the disappearance.

A local fisherman told Mail Online: “It sounds like they are trying to work out if anyone was fishing on the river that day and saw something, but nobody was.”

He said police had contacted fishermen on the first day of the disappearance, but only to ask how deep the water was where she went missing,

The angler stressed that no fishermen were there on 27 January, adding: “The only people that were on the river that day were dog walkers. I can guarantee you that.”

Mystery over Nicola Bulley’s car keys as partner asks Mercedes to track them

Tuesday 14 February 2023 23:41 , Liam James

Nicola Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell has appealed to Mercedes for help tracking the missing mother-of-two’s car keys, her friend has revealed (Andy Gregory writes).

This week, her neighbour of five years, Charlotte Drake, sought to reject internet theories that Ms Bulley may have left her car keys in the ignition while walking her dog, Willow, telling the Metro that “were definitely on Nikki at the time” of her disappearance.

Now another of her friends has revealed that “one of the first things” that her partner, Mr Ansell, did after realising she was missing was to contact Mercedes to see if the keys could be tracked.

Mystery over Nicola Bulley’s car keys as partner Paul asks Mercedes to track them

Nicola Bulley’s partner 'frustrated by lack of imagination’ in police search

Tuesday 14 February 2023 22:35 , Liam James

Nicola Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell has grown frustrated with a “lack of imagination and willpower” in the police search for the missing mother-of-two, a forensics expert said.

Mr Ansell has urged police to search on land for his partner after three weeks of wading around the River Wyre have failed to find anything.

Peter Faulding, who was drafted into the underwater search and is in contact with Mr Ansell, told MailOnline: “He’s got a relationship with the police family liaison officers, but I think he’s struggling to get answers that he wants.

“He’s got a line of communication with them, but I think there’s a problem.

“He vented his frustrations to the family liaison officers last week in front of me when I was there. He said ‘Why can’t you go and search buildings in the village?’ ‘They said they can’t because they need a search warrant. He said ‘Well, you could just ask them.’ People would happily let them in, the whole village is behind him.

“There’s a feeling that there’s just a lack of imagination and willpower. I don’t want to be critical of police, but I’m just giving his thoughts really.”

Council forced to remove contact details

Tuesday 14 February 2023 21:45 , Sam Rkaina

On Monday, Wyre Council removed councillors’ contact details from its website due to “inappropriate emails and phone calls” about Ms Bulley’s disappearance.

It said it had temporarily removed contact details for “parish and town council members” after Lancashire Police confirmed its investigation.

Wyre Council leader Michael Vincent said: “We appreciate the emotional gravity of the situation; however we will not tolerate any form of abuse of any of our elected members of Wyre Borough Council or any of the town and parish councils within our borders or our staff.

“The community has shown great strength and resilience during the investigation, and we urge everyone to continue to show compassion and empathy.

“It is a shame that we have had to take this step at such a difficult time and appropriate steps are being taken to ensure that residents are still able to contact their elected representatives.”

The council added: “Wyre Council will log any reports of abuse and these will be forwarded to the police. Please be respectful.”

Breaking: Two arrested for ‘malicious communications’ over Nicola Bulley disappearance

Tuesday 14 February 2023 20:49 , Sam Rkaina

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of sending malicious communications over the disappearance of Nicola Bulley.

Lancashire Police said it received reports over the weekend of messages being sent to Wyre Council members.

A 49-year-old man from Manchester and a 20-year-old woman from Oldham have been arrested on suspicion of malicious communications offences.

Click here for the full story.

Nicola ‘would have only been waist deep in water unless pushed'

Tuesday 14 February 2023 19:45 , Sam Rkaina

Forensics expert Peter Faulding believes Ms Bulley would only have been in the river water waist deep - unless she was pushed.

“If she slipped down the bank she wouldn’t go far,” he told MailOnline. “The rocks would hold her in place and she’d only have been waist deep. She could have stood there and asked for help because people do walk by.

“She’d have needed to be pushed extremely hard from behind to have launched herself into the deep water and experienced police divers have searched that thoroughly.”

Mr Faulding, who specialises in underwater searches, surveyed the river last week but found no trace of the missing mother.

Update timeline of dog walker’s mysterious disappearance

Tuesday 14 February 2023 18:45 , Sam Rkaina

Police are still searching for missing dog walker Nicola Bulley, who disappeared almost three weeks ago after dropping her daughters off at school.

Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen on Friday 27 January at around 9.20am while walking her dog alongside the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire. Friends and family of the mother-of-two have said they will never give up hope of finding her.

Ms Bulley’s phone was found, apparently still connected to a Microsoft Teams work call, on a park bench nearby, along with the harness and lead for her dog, Willow, a springer spaniel.

Click here for an updated timeline of the case.

‘Any news on mummy?': Nicola Bulley’s children asking daily about search, says friend

Tuesday 14 February 2023 18:00 , Emily Atkinson

Any trace of Nicola Bulley will now be gone from disappearance site, says ex-cop

Tuesday 14 February 2023 17:30 , Emily Atkinson

Any trace of Nicola Bulley on the stretch of river where she was last seen will now be gone, a former Lancashire police officer has said.

Riverbanks and fields like the one in St Michael’s on Wyre where the missing mother-of-two walked her dog are “not very forensically friendly”, the retired officer told The Telegraph.

In anonymous remarks, he explained that there would be fingerprints and bootprints from lots of people in the area, especially now that two weeks have passed since she vanished on 27 January.

Liam James reports:

Any trace of Nicola Bulley will now be gone from disappearance site, says ex-cop

Messages of hope adorn bridge

Tuesday 14 February 2023 17:00 , Emily Atkinson

Yellow ribbons and heart-shaped paper notes emblazoned with messages of hope and goodwill adorn the footbridge in the village of St Michael's on Wyre.

The baffling 10-minute window shrouding Nicola Bulley’s disappearance in mystery

Tuesday 14 February 2023 16:30 , Emily Atkinson

The disappearance Nicola Bulley continues to puzzle the police and public as over two weeks have passed since the mother-of-two went missing in Lancashire.

The 45-year-old mortgage broker was logged into a Teams work call on her phone on 27 January as she walked her dog, but what happened next in the quiet village of St Michael’s on Wyre remains a mystery.

Specifically, Lancashire Police have a 10-minute window in which they cannot account for Ms Bulley’s movements.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

The baffling 10-minute window shrouding Nicola Bulley’s disappearance in mystery

Timeline of Nicola Bulley’s last known movements

Tuesday 14 February 2023 16:00 , Emily Atkinson

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 Willow. Work is ongoing 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.

Caravan park hits out at vigilantes as police told to ‘change message’

Tuesday 14 February 2023 15:26 , Emily Atkinson

Staff at the caravan park near to where Nicola Bulley vanished have hit out at vigilantes for allegedly harrassing locals and “filming through the windows” of villagers’ homes.

It comes after officers were spotted on Monday at Wyreside Farm Park Caravan Site, which lies along the same riverside path in St Michael’s on Wyre where Ms Bulley was last seen walking her dog on 27 January.

Speaking to The Independent’sAndy Gregory, a staff member explained: “They pop in regularly to say ‘is everything alright’, because we’re having such a bad time in this village with it. Don’t get me wrong, everyone wants to find poor Nicola. It’s tragic, it’s awful.”

But the speculation and “absolutely wicked” abuse on social media doesn’t help the situation, they said.

“Everything on social media. It’s almost laughable, well it’s not laughable, it’s horrible, it’s awful.”

“A friend of mine had someone yesterday filming through the window.”

Caravan park staff ‘told to lock doors’ as Nicola Bulley vigilantes harass villagers

Nicola Bulley described as ‘most beautiful person, inside and out’ by concerned friends

Tuesday 14 February 2023 15:00 , Emily Atkinson

A next-door neighbour of Nicola Bulley described her friend as “without doubt the most beautiful person, inside and out who would do anything for anyone”.

Charlotte Drake, whose children regularly play with Ms Bulley’s, told the Metro: “We joke she is the sort of mum we all want to be – loving, friendly and just a wonderful human being. Like Paul, we have to remain strong and have hope that we will get Nicola home.

“As neighbours and friends, we’ve all said from 11am on Day 1 when the police showed up… ‘She’s not in that river’.

“My gut feeling remains the same. I honestly believe Nikki is not in the water.”

Ms Drake also dismissed speculation that Ms Bulley’s car keys were left in the ignition, saying the missing mother had them with her – something Mr Ansell wanted the public to know.

Watch: Handwritten messages left for missing Nicola Bulley close to where she disappeared

Tuesday 14 February 2023 14:31 , Emily Atkinson

Opinion: Nicola Bulley – the missing woman who captured the imagination of a nation

Tuesday 14 February 2023 14:10 , Emily Atkinson

So what’s the appeal? Why do we so desperately want to know the details of why and how bad things happen to other people? Perhaps it’s a basic human urge, writes Emma Christie.

Nicola Bulley – the missing woman who captured the imagination of a nation

Nicola Bulley was ‘shoved really hard’ if she fell in river, forensic expert claims

Tuesday 14 February 2023 13:40 , Emily Atkinson

If Nicola Bulley had fallen into the river she would have been “shoved really hard”, a forensic expert has suggested.

Peter Faulding, whose Specialist Internationalist Group firm searched a stretch of the river where Ms Bulley was last seen, has launched his own “low key” inquiry into Ms Bulley’s disappearance.

“If Nicola slipped down the bank she would end up with water to the top of her legs, if she went out into the middle it’s about 3.5m/4m deep,” Mr Faulding told TalkTV.

“But the bench is quite a way back, so to actually get into the river you would have to be pushed very hard, or knocked out and shoved in the river.

“I mean the dog was dry here, so I don’t believe that she’s just slipped down the bank.”

Watch: Forensic search expert ‘convinced’ Nicola Bulley did not fall into river

Tuesday 14 February 2023 13:10 , Emily Atkinson

Family does not trust police hypothesis that missing mother ‘fell into river’

Tuesday 14 February 2023 12:40 , Emily Atkinson

Nicola Bulley’s family does not “trust” police when they say the most likely hypothesis is that she fell in the river, a former detective has said.

Speaking to Sky News, Simon Harding, ex-detective chief inspector, said: “If you tell a family, and you would be telling the family everything that you had, the facts that you had - that she was in that river - they would be satisfied with that because as a senior officer, you’d be telling them that, and they would trust you about that.”

“But the family haven’t got that trust - they don’t believe that.”

Police must change messaging to stop public ‘taking matters into own hands'

Tuesday 14 February 2023 12:10 , Emily Atkinson

Lancashire Police needs to change the way it speaks to the public, to “reassure other people and stop people going to that scene and taking things into their own hands,” an ex-detective has said.

Speaking to Sky News, Simon Harding, former detective chief inspector, said: “It can hinder quite a lot. It really can.

“I think the difference here is that you don’t have a cordoned off area where you can do your own enquiries in your own time and there would be all sorts of tests you would want to do in that river.

“There are police divers... who are experts themselves - they don’t necessarily need other people.

“But now come out and say, ‘we’ve done this, we have done this CCTV, we’ve done this researching’ to stop people.

“It’s the messaging, which is the problem for me.”

ICYMI Police spotted at nearby caravan park as search for missing mother continues

Tuesday 14 February 2023 11:50 , Emily Atkinson

Police were spotted today at a caravan park near to where Nicola Bulley vanished almost three weeks ago.

Images shared by MailOnline capture uniformed officers scouring Wyreside Farm Park Caravan Site, which lies along the same riverside path in St Michael’s on Wyre where Ms Bulley was last seen walking her dog on 27 January.

Search expert hunting for Nicola Bulley seeks out ditches where body could be hidden

Tuesday 14 February 2023 11:30 , Emily Atkinson

A search expert hunting for Nicola Bulley has revealed that he is scouring maps of the local area for places where it would be possible to hide a body.

Peter Faulding, whose team Specialist Group International was drafted in to help police search the River Wyre for the 45-year-old, is “convinced” that she is not in the river, after his three-day search using sonar and divers yielded no sign of the mother-of-two.

While Lancashire Police believe Ms Bulley most likely fell in the river while walking her dog on 27 January, her partner Paul Ansell has pleaded for the surrounding land “to be scrutinised”, while her family have urged investigators to keep an “open mind” over the nature of her disappearance.

Andy Gregory has the details:

Nicola Bulley: Search expert seeks out ditches where body could be hidden

Watch: Nicola Bulley ‘could have been kidnapped’, says forensic search expert

Tuesday 14 February 2023 11:10 , Emily Atkinson

Meet the armchair detectives determined to solve the Nicola Bulley case

Tuesday 14 February 2023 10:50 , Emily Atkinson

Since the disappearance of the mother-of-two last month, budding Sherlocks have flooded online discussion boards to try to solve the case and point fingers – leading to police frustration.

Ben Bryant speaks to them:

Meet the armchair detectives determined to solve the Nicola Bulley case

Mounted police join search

Tuesday 14 February 2023 10:30 , Emily Atkinson

Mounted police in Knott End-on-Sea take part in the search for Nicola Bulley.

Ms Bulley, 45, vanished on 27 January in Wyre, Lancashire, while walking her springer spaniel Willow shortly after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school.

Offensive Nicola Bulley voicemail sent to local councillor

Tuesday 14 February 2023 10:10 , Emily Atkinson

Nicola Bulley’s local council has been forced to take steps to protect its members after some received “vile” phone calls over the mother-of-two’s disappearance.

Police have been searching for the 45-year-old mortgage adviser since she disappeared while walking her dog along the River Wyre after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.

Extensive searches of the river – where police believe Ms Bulley may have fallen in – have so far proven inconclusive, and her disappearance has sparked intense speculation and even vigilante searches.

Andy Gregory reports:

Offensive Nicola Bulley voicemail sent to local councillor

The final email and an abandoned Teams call: Timeline of dog walker’s mysterious disappearance

Tuesday 14 February 2023 09:50 , Emily Atkinson

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 27 January at around 9.20am while walking her dog alongside the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

She had just dropped off her two daughters, aged six and nine, at the local village school.

Ms Bulley’s phone was found, apparently still connected to a Microsoft Teams work call, on a park bench nearby, along with the harness and lead for her dog, Willow, a springer spaniel.

Matt Mathers has the details:

Timeline of Nicola Bulley’s mysterious disappearance

Mystery over Nicola Bulley’s car keys as partner asks Mercedes to track them

Tuesday 14 February 2023 09:30 , Emily Atkinson

Nicola Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell has appealed to Mercedes for help tracking the missing mother-of-two’s car keys, her friend has revealed.

Police have been searching for the 45-year-old mortgage adviser since she disappeared while walking her dog along the River Wyre after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.

Extensive searches of the river – where police believe Ms Bulley may have fallen in – have so far proven inconclusive, and her disappearance has sparked intense speculation and even vigilante searches.

My colleague Andy Gregory has more:

Mystery over Nicola Bulley’s car keys as partner asks Mercedes to track them

Former detectives share 8 key clues in Nicola Bulley’s disappearance – from fitbit to phone

Tuesday 14 February 2023 09:00 , Emily Atkinson

Former detectives have shared eight key areas they think police should be investigating in order to gain insights into Nicola Bulley’s disappearance.

The search for the mother-of-two has entered its third week and despite combing the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, opening more than 500 lines of inquiry and looking all the way to Morecambe Bay, police are still at a loss as to what happened to Ms Bulley.

Lancashire Constabulary over the weekend expanded their search to include the 24 hours before the last sighting of Ms Bulley, which came as she walked her dog Willow on a route she used regularly.

Liam James reports:

Ex-detectives share 8 key clues in Nicola Bulley disappearance from fitbit to phone

‘No new developments’ in search for Nicola Bulley, says ex-detective who exposed Jimmy Savile

Tuesday 14 February 2023 08:30 , Emily Atkinson

A former detective who who has joined the search for missing dogwalker Nicola Bulley says there were “sadly no developments yesterday” as to what happened to her.

Mark Williams-Thomas, who exposed Jimmy Savile’s history of abuse, said on Monday he was heading to the last spot Ms Bulley was seen to begin his own search.

Posting an update to Twitter this moring, the ex-Surrey Police officer said: “Sadly no developments yesterday in the search for #NicolaBulley. Two key aspects to consider is access and opportunities and you can see from this aerial shot a lot exist to the relevant location.”

Police say they have ‘not stepped down’ investigation

Tuesday 14 February 2023 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Police have said they are not giving up the search for missing Nicola Bulley after more than two weeks despite fewer officers seen in the area of her disappearance.

Authorities have spent 17 days searching the area near to St Michael’s village for the 45-year-old mortgage adviser and expanded their search to Morecambe Bay.

In the latest update, the Lancashire Constabulary said: “People may have seen less police activity around the river, but that’s not because we have stepped down our searches, rather the focus of the search has moved further downstream and out towards the coast.”

William Mata has more.

Police say they have ‘not stepped down’ Nicola Bulley investigation

The 10-minute window shrouding Nicola Bulley’s disappearance in mystery

Tuesday 14 February 2023 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The disappearance of Nicola Bulley continues to puzzle the police and public as over two weeks have passed since the mother-of-two went missing in Lancashire.

Specifically, Lancashire Police have a 10-minute window in which they cannot account for Ms Bulley’s movements.

At approximately 9.10am, a witness – somebody who knows Ms Bulley – saw her on the upper field walking her dog.

Police know that at 9.20am, her phone was on the bench it was later discovered on. The phone was still connected to a teams call she logged on to at 9.01am.

The call ended at 9.30am and her mobile phone and her dog were found by the bench at 9.35am.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports.

The baffling 10-minute window shrouding Nicola Bulley’s disappearance in mystery

Nicola Bulley’s partner asks Mercedes to ‘track’ car keys

Tuesday 14 February 2023 07:09 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Nicola Bulley’s partner has asked Mercedes to track her car keys, her friend has revealed.

Ms Bulley, a mortgage adviser, was last seen near the River Wyre on 27 January at around 9.20am, after dropping her daughters at the school in the village.

According to Heather Gibbons, Ms Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, has allegedly asked Mercedes to track her car keys.

“Paul has been clear about Nikki’s keys being missing from the get go,” Ms Gibbons was quoted by The Sun as saying.

“In the local searches he specifically asked people to keep their eyes open for them and even organised for people to go out with metal detectors. One of the first things he did was to contact Mercedes to see if they could be tracked.”

Ex-detective who exposed Jimmy Saville’s crimes joins hunt for Nicola Bulley

Tuesday 14 February 2023 07:00 , Liam James

A former detective who exposed Jimmy Saville’s history of abuse has joined the search for missing dogwalker Nicola Bulley.

Mother-of-two Ms Bulley has been missing for more than a fortnight after she vanished walking her dog alongside the River Wyre in Lancashire on 27 January. Police are no closer to finding her, despite weeks of searching the river and the area around it.

Now, ex-Surrey Police officer Mark Williams-Thomas has said he will head to the last spot Ms Bulley was sighted to begin his own search.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

Ex-detective who exposed Jimmy Saville’s crimes joins hunt for Nicola Bulley

Mother of murdered Libby Squire sends message to Nicola Bulley’s partner

Tuesday 14 February 2023 06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The mother of a 21-year-old woman who was found murdered after she went missing in 2019 has sent a message to the partner of Nicola Bulley.

Nicola Bulley, a mortgage adviser, was last seen near the River Wyre on 27 January at around 9.20am, after dropping her daughters at the school in the village.

Lisa Squire, the mother of Libby Squire, has urged Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell to never give up on the search.

“Please don’t give up hope. Put one foot in front of the other and hope for that positive outcome,” Ms Squire said, according to The Daily Mail.

“It’s the not knowing that’s so difficult.”

The baffling 10-minute window shrouding Nicola Bulley’s disappearance in mystery

Tuesday 14 February 2023 06:00 , Liam James

The disappearance of Nicola Bulley continues to puzzle the police and public as over two weeks have passed since the mother-of-two went missing in Lancashire.

The 45-year-old mortgage broker was logged into a Teams work call on her phone on 27 January as she walked her dog, but what happened next in the quiet village of St Michael’s on Wyre remains a mystery.

Specifically, Lancashire Police have a 10-minute window in which they cannot account for Ms Bulley’s movements.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

The baffling 10-minute window shrouding Nicola Bulley’s disappearance in mystery