Nicola Bulley latest: CCTV of second potential witness as hunt for missing dog walker continues
Police are urging a potential second witness to come forward as the search for missing dog walker Nicola Bulley continues.
The 45-year-old disappeared last Friday – with her mobile phone found on a bench near to where she was last seen on a towpath by the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.
Police say that at this point there is nothing to suggest any third-party involvement in Ms Bulley’s disappearance.
Lancashire Constabulary is now urging a woman captured on CCTV who it believes was in the area at the time Ms Bulley was last seen.
“We would stress that the woman is sought as a witness and nothing more,” police said.
She is described as wearing a red and white coat with a fur hood, light-coloured trousers and a light bobble hat. She was also walking a small, white dog.
The woman was seen on CCTV at around 8.48am on Allotment Lane, close to where Ms Bulley was last seen.
Key Points
‘Stuck in a nightmare’: Nicola Bulley’s family issue emotional plea for information
Timeline of dog walker’s mysterious disappearance
Police release CCTV of second witness in hunt for missing dog walker
Police cordon off bench where Nicola Bulley’s phone was discovered
Partner describes ‘perpetual hell’ with children ‘missing mummy'
What happened to Nicola Bulley?
Nicola Bulley’s partner says it’s like she’s ‘vanished into thin air’
09:44 , Lucy Skoulding
In an interview at the scene where Nicola Bulley was last seen, her partner Paul Ansell told Sky News it was as if she had “vanished into thin air”.
He said: “I can’t believe a week on and as yet it seems like we’re no further on, it seems absolutely impossible.
“It’s like a dream, I can’t get my head around any of it. Every single scenario comes to a brick wall, all we’re doing is going around and around.”
Read the full story by reporter Thomas Kingsley.
‘We’re going round and round and round through each scenario’ says Nicola Bulley’s partner
10:21 , Lucy Skoulding
Nicola Bulley’s partner has spoken out on how he “cannot get his head around” her disappearance as everyone is going “round and round and round” each scenario but they feel no closer to the truth.
Speaking to broadcasters near the scene of where the Lancashire woman was last seen, he said: “Every single scenario comes to a brick wall. Every single one of them.
“All we are doing is sitting there going round and round and round through each scenario.”
He added he was focusing on looking after their two daughters and “didn’t want to think” about how he was coping.
On the support from the community, Mr Ansell added: “It’s the only thing that we can take (from the situation) is that the level of support is out of this world.
“It gives us a great amount of comfort knowing that that’s going on, we don’t have anything else.
“We’re never going to lose hope, but it is as though she has vanished into thin air. It’s just insane.”
‘My whole focus is my two girls’ says Nicola Bulley’s partner
10:08 , Lucy Skoulding
Nicola Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, has told Sky News that he is focusing on his two daughters and trying to stay strong for them as the search for the missing dog walker continues.
Mr Ansell said: “My whole focus is my two girls, just staying as strong as I can for them.
“I’m scared that if I put focus into anything else it’s going to take my focus off that.
“Just hoping to goodness that anything comes out from the interview yesterday no matter how tiny.”
Mr Ansell added that he “can’t believe” it’s been a week since his partner vanished while walking the dog close to their girls’ school and the case is still “no further on”.
He said: “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.”
Women ‘fearful of going out’ in village where Nicola Bulley went missing
10:00 , Lucy Skoulding
The woman who police were trying to locate as a possible second witness in the case of missing Nicola Bulley has said women in the village are “scared to go out”.
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.”
Police ‘can’t verify’ second witness’s account
09:01 , Lucy Skoulding
Lancashire Police have this morning told The Independent that they cannot verify the account of the second possible witness in the case of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.
Christine Bowman, who was caught on CCTV walking her dog around the time that Ms Bulley went missing last Friday, told the Daily Mirror that she “didn’t see” the mum-of-two.
This was after Lancashire Constabulary issued an appeal to trace a woman wearing a red coat and walking a dog near the River Wyre where the 45-year-old woman disappeared last week.
Ms Bowman told the Mirror that she “doesn’t know anything” and she couldn’t understand why police were appealing to find her when she already spoke to them to tell them this right after Ms Bulley went missing.
Possible second witness said she ‘didn’t see’ Ms Bulley
08:01 , Lucy Skoulding
The possible second witness who was spotted on CCTV walking her own dog around the time Nicola Bulley went missing said she knows nothing of significance to help with the case.
Christine Bowman, 67, who was out walking her dog Snowflake along the River Wyre last Friday around the time the missing mum vanished said she “didn’t see” Ms Bulley.
Ms Bowman said she found it strange that Lancashire Constabulary had issued an appeal to locate her when she spoke to police immediately after the incident last Friday to say she hadn’t seen Ms Bulley, reports the Mail.
Map traces Nicola Bulley’s steps before going missing
07:00 , Emily Atkinson
Using information from police and witnesses The Independent has traced the route of Nicola Bulley’s dog walk on which she went missing.
Father of woman who ‘vanished into thin air’ walking dog breaks down as he urges public to help
06:00 , Emily Atkinson
The family of a mother-of-two who vanished while walking her dog in Lancashire have described how they are “stuck in a nightmare” in an emotional appeal for her whereabouts.
Police have been searching for Nicola Bulley since she went missing last Friday, on a route she has taken “a thousand times” after dropping her children at school.
Ms Bulley’s younger sister Louise Cunningham and father Ernie Bulley, 76, shared their anguish as they urged anyone with any information to come forward.
Andy Gregory reports:
Father of woman who ‘vanished into thin air’ walking dog breaks down in public plea
Everything we know so far as mother vanishes while walking dog
05:00 , Emily Atkinson
Police are continuing with a major search for missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley who disappeared one week ago.
Ms Bulley, a mortgage advisor, was last seen near the River Wyre river at around 9.20am, and despite an extensive search has not been located.
The mother-of-two’s distraught family made an emotional appeal for information yesterday, saying they would “do anything” to find her.
Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, told Sky News: “Something has got to have been missed. Somebody must know something. People don’t just vanish into thin air.”
Joe Middleton catalogues everything we know so far:
Everything we know so far as mother vanishes while walking dog
Watch: Police search for mother-of-two who went missing walking dog
04:00 , Emily Atkinson
ICYMI: New CCTV breakthrough in hunt for missing dog walker as police seek woman in red
03:00 , Emily Atkinson
A CCTV image has been released of a woman in red who may be a witness in the mysterious disappearance of dog walker Nicola Bulley.
Lancashire Police would like to speak to the woman, who officers believe was in the area at the time Ms Bulley was last seen.
She was wearing a red and white coat, light-coloured trousers a bobble hat, and is being sought as a potential witness and not a suspect.
The woman was seen on CCTV at around 8.48am on Allotment Lane, close to where Ms Bulley was last seen. At the time, Ms Bulley is understood to have been on a work call near a bench, shortly before she disappeared.
Joe Middleton reports:
New CCTV breakthrough in hunt for missing dog walker as police seek ‘woman in red’
Police urge residents to avoid ‘treacherous’ riverbank
02:00 , Emily Atkinson
Police have urged residents to avoid the area near to where Nicola Bulley went missing, warning that heavy rain left parts of the riverbank “treacherous”.
Supt Sally Riley said: “We know that Nicola going missing has caused a great deal of concern for the wider local community, as well as obviously being an awful time for her family.
“This remains a missing person inquiry and at this time there is nothing to suggest any third-party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance.
“I appreciate that there are unanswered questions about what has happened to Nicola, but I would urge people not to speculate or spread false rumours. We will share updates when we can, but we must be factual.
“Nicola’s family are being kept up to date with events and are being supported by officers.
“We are really grateful for the community’s help and co-operation so far, but I’d like to stress again parts of the riverbank are treacherous, especially after the recent rain, and we would ask that nobody puts themselves in danger and that the police and partner agencies’ efforts to find Nicola are not compromised.”
01:00 , Emily Atkinson
A diver with the specialist search teams from Lancashire Police on the banks of the River Wyre, in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, as the search continues for missing woman Nicola Bulley.
Nicola Bulley: ‘No sign of fall’ near river as parents fear dog walker was taken
00:00 , Emily Atkinson
The parents of Nicola Bulley said there was “no sign” the mother of two fell near the River Wyre as they fear someone may have taken her.
Ms Bulley’s parents, known only as Ernest, 73, and Dot, 72, vowed “we will never stop looking for her”.
She was last seen on Friday morning at 9.15am as she walked along a footpath to a river while still logged on to a conference call from a bench where she had been out walking her pet dog Willow.
Thomas Kingsley has more:
Nicola Bulley: ‘No sign of fall’ near river as parents fear dog walker was taken
Nicola Bulley’s family make plea for information: ‘People don’t just vanish into thin air’
Thursday 2 February 2023 23:00 , Emily Atkinson
Nicola Bulley’s family have made an emotional plea for information as the search for the missing mother-of-two continues.
Ms Bulley, 45, was last seen walking next to the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, shortly after 9am last Friday.
“Somebody must know something, people don’t just vanish into thin air,” sister Louise Cunningham said.
“All we’re asking - no matter how small or big - if there’s anything you can remember that just doesn’t seem right then please just reach out to the police.”
Nicola Bulley’s family make plea for information: ‘People don’t vanish into thin air’
Map traces Nicola Bulley’s steps before going missing
Thursday 2 February 2023 22:30 , Emily Atkinson
Watch: Nicola Bulley’s family pleas for information as search is ongoing
Thursday 2 February 2023 22:00 , Emily Atkinson
Father of missing dog walker says he would ‘do anything’ for his daughter
Thursday 2 February 2023 21:00 , Emily Atkinson
The father of Nicola Bulley broke down in tears as he said he would “do anything” for his missing daughter.
Asked how much he missed his daughter, Ernie Bulley began to cry as he told Sky News: “Don’t, it’s hard... we’re such a close knit family.
“We’re a close knit family, we’d do anything for any one of us and the children would do the same for us.
“We’re getting on in life, and the grandchildren, and our own children, are more and more important to us as we’re getting older.
“So, yeah, I just hope she comes home.”
He said that his family hoped their interview would “spark a light” that would lead to finding Ms Bulley.
“We’re holding onto this, not our last hope, but this is going to reach out to millions of people, and we’re just hoping that from doing this interview that something may come of it which will spark a light and it will lead to us finding our daughter,” he said.
Timings from morning Nicola Bulley last seen
Thursday 2 February 2023 20:00 , Emily Atkinson
Police have confirmed the following timings from the morning Nicola Bulley was last seen:
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.
Watch: Parents of missing mother say their lives 'feel so empty' since disappearance
Thursday 2 February 2023 19:00 , Emily Atkinson
‘There are two young children there waiting for their mummy'
Thursday 2 February 2023 18:00 , Emily Atkinson
The two young children of Nicola Bulley, who went missing in Lancashire on Friday, believe it is “only a matter of time” until she comes home, their grandfather said.
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Bulley‘s father Ernie said: “The main thing is that we want to find Nicola, get her back home.
“There are two young children there waiting for their mummy to come back and we want her back obviously also, but if Nicola is out there, if she’s watching this, then all we’d like to say is come home, contact the police, contact ourselves and we just want you back.
“And they know that mummy’s missing but they know that she’s going to be coming home and everyone is looking for her so it’s only a matter of time, that they’re thinking in their minds, that she’s going to walk through that door.”
Louise Cunningham, Ms Bulley‘s sister, added: “Their little minds are trying to process, they don’t really understand, none of us understand, to be honest. But when there are children involved you just have to carry on, you’ve got to get through every day and that’s all we’re trying to do.”
Father of woman who ‘vanished into thin air’ walking dog breaks down as he urges public to help
Thursday 2 February 2023 17:00 , Emily Atkinson
The family of a mother-of-two who “vanished” while walking her dog in Lancashire have described how they are “stuck in a nightmare” in an emotional appeal for her whereabouts.
Police have been searching for Nicola Bulley since she went missing last Friday, on a route she has taken “a thousand times” after dropping her children at school.
Ms Bulley’s younger sister Louise Cunningham and father Ernie Bulley, 76, shared their anguish as they urged anyone with any information to come forward.
Andy Gregory has more:
Father of woman who ‘vanished into thin air’ walking dog breaks down in public plea
Watch: Nicola Bulley’s sister says she feels ‘stuck in nightmare’
Thursday 2 February 2023 16:09 , Emily Atkinson
The final email and an abandoned Teams call: Timeline of dog walker’s mysterious disappearance
Thursday 2 February 2023 15:40 , 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 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.
Matt Mathers takes a look at her last known movements:
Timeline of Nicola Bulley’s mysterious disappearance
‘Stuck in a nightmare’: Nicola Bulley’s family issue emotional plea for information
Thursday 2 February 2023 15:20 , Emily Atkinson
The family of Nicola Bulley say her disappearance has left them feeling “stuck in a nightmare” as they urged anyone with information to come forward to aid the ongoing search.
In an emotional interview with Sky News, Ms Bulley’s sister described the pain of have “no idea where she is”.
“It’s like she’s vanished into mid-air,” Lousie Cunningham said. “It feels like I’m stuck in a nightmare. We need to get my sister home.”
Nicola Bulley: Police hunting second possible witness in search for missing dog walker
Thursday 2 February 2023 14:32 , Emily Atkinson
Police want to speak to a second possible witness in the ongoing search for missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.
Ms 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.
In a fresh appeal today, Lancashire Police said they would like to speak to a woman in a newly-released CCTV image, who they believe was in the area at the time Nicola was last seen.
Joe Middleton has this breaking story:
Police hunting second possible witness in search for missing Nicola Bulley
Missing dog walker has ‘little girls who need their mummy home’, partner says
Thursday 2 February 2023 14:07 , Emily Atkinson
A woman who vanished while walking her dog has “two little girls that need their mummy home”, her boyfriend said as a major search continues.
Nicola Bulley, 45, went missing on Friday morning – with her mobile phone found on a bench near to where she was last seen on a towpath by the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.
Her mobile phone was still connected to a conference call when it was found, police said.
Missing dog walker has ‘little girls who need their mummy home’, partner says
KEY POST: Bench where Nicola Bulley’s phone found cordoned off by police
Thursday 2 February 2023 13:02 , Andy Gregory
Rescue teams have returned to the scene again today as the search for Nicola Bulley continues.
Police have reportedly cordoned off the area surrounding the bench where the 45-year-old’s mobile phone and dog lead were discovered, on the banks of the River Wyre.
Specialist diving teams returned to search the river, as pictured by photojournalists:
Map traces Nicola Bulley’s steps before going missing
Thursday 2 February 2023 12:40 , Liam James
Using information from police and witnesses The Independent has traced the route of Nicola Bulley’s dog walk on which she went missing.
Fire service out on search again
Thursday 2 February 2023 11:42 , Liam James
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed to The Independent that it has a crew out searching for Nicola Bulley today.
The fire service has sent a boat and crew to join police looking for the missing mother-of-two by a river in St Michael’s on Wyre this week.
Watch: Police continue search for Nicola Bulley
Thursday 2 February 2023 11:06 , Liam James
Police teams continue to search this morning for Nicola Bulley.
Independent TV has footage from the scene in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.
Woman who found Nicola Bulley’s dog speaks for first time
Thursday 2 February 2023 10:08 , Liam James
A business owner who raised the alarm about Nicola Bulley has spoken for the first time of the moment she came across the mum-of-two’s “worried” dog by the side of a river.
The woman, who did not want be named, spotted brown springer spaniel Willow running free on the river bank on Friday morning. She also found Ms Bulley’s phone.
She called her daughter-in-law who notified the missing woman’s long-term partner Paul, who dialled 999.
She said: “I saw the dog and I recognised it, but I suddenly couldn’t think whose dog it was. There was a mobile phone on the bench and there was also something between the bench and the river so I went and looked, and it was a dog harness.
“The dog looked worried so I tied her up and rushed home as I had to go to an appointment.”
The business owner added: “I know of her and her partner because I walk around the river a lot to pass the time. I always say morning to them or comment on how it’s a lovely day but that’s all.
“It’s just awful, I hope to God that it’s not a bad outcome.”
Nicola Bulley’s partner in ‘perpetual hell'
Thursday 2 February 2023 09:03 , Liam James
Paul Ansell, partner of Nicola Bulley, said he was in “perpetual hell” as the search for the missing dog walker continued.
Police have been searching the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire for nearly a week after the mother-of-two’s disappearance last Friday morning at 9.15am.
Ms Bulley’s dog was found near the spot she was last seen along with her phone, which was still on a conference call. Her parents fear she was kidnapped.
Speaking to MailOnline yesterday, Mr Ansell 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,” he said. “She’s got two little girls that need their mummy home. We have got to get some good news now.”
Mystery of mother who vanished during a work conference call
Thursday 2 February 2023 08:45 , Liam James
Walking your dog, going for a coffee, popping out for a run: all normal activities carried out daily with minimal issue (Thomas Kingsley writes).
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 has appealed for a “potentially key witness” to come forward.
Nicola Bulley: Mystery of mortgage adviser who vanished while walking her dog
Drones and helicopter drafted in for search
Thursday 2 February 2023 00:15 , Jane Dalton
Police used drones and a helicopter to help them comb the area.
Grounds of large empty house searched
Wednesday 1 February 2023 23:15 , Jane Dalton
Search teams hunted around a large, unoccupied house as they continued looking for Nicola Bulley.
Kev Camplin, of Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue, said the grounds of a large unoccupied country house, along with a long stretch of the river, including wooded areas and water margins were searched, the Lancashire Evening Post reported.
He said: “The abandoned house is right opposite the bench on the other side of the river, over a 10ft garden wall. It’s quite posh.
“We didn’t go into the house: as a volunteer search and rescue team we don’t actually go into buildings. We might go into a barn or something. We leave that to the police.
“While the team was searching the grounds, the owner was there for some reason, and we asked him to go in and he had a quick look around and she wasn’t there.”
Mystery man was in area as Nicola Bulley vanished
Wednesday 1 February 2023 22:15 , Jane Dalton
An unidentified 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. ICYMI:
Nicola Bulley: Mystery of mortgage adviser who vanished while walking her dog
Sniffer dogs boost search effort
Wednesday 1 February 2023 21:15 , Jane Dalton
Sniffer dogs have been drafted in to help rescue teams searching a river for missing Nicola Bulley, who vanished on a dog walk in Lancashire as a major search entered its sixth day.
Residents turned out to help rescue teams and friends organised volunteer search parties to help police look for the missing mortgage adviser.
Police combed the area for clues on the river bank either side of the water.
Passer-by recalls dog running free
Wednesday 1 February 2023 20:15 , Jane Dalton
A passer-by who raised the alarm about missing Nicola Bulley has spoken for the first time of how she came across the mum-of-two’s dog beside a river.
The woman, who did not want be identified, spotted brown springer spaniel Willow running free and the harness on the ground.
She also found Ms Bulley’s mobile phone on a bench, under a tree which has a sign warning of deep water nailed to it.
She called her daughter-in-law who called Ms Bulley‘s long-term partner Paul, who dialled 999.
The woman said: “I saw the dog and I recognised it, but I suddenly couldn’t think whose dog it was.
“There was a mobile phone on the bench and there was also something between the bench and the river so I went and looked, and it was a dog harness.
“The dog looked worried so I tied her up and rushed home as I had to go to an appointment.
“I then went and spoke to my daughter-in-law and she immediately knew who the dog was, alerted the woman’s partner and that was it - the police were on it.”
Parents ‘dread’ thought of never seeing daughter again
Wednesday 1 February 2023 19:15 , Jane Dalton
The parents of missing dog-walker Nicola Bulley have spoken of their “dread” at the thought of never seeing her again.
Ernest and Dot Bulley also spoke of hearing their grandchildren “sobbing their hearts out” after being told “mummy is lost”.
The couple told the Daily Mirror their daughter was in good spirits and her disappearance was totally out of character.
“We just dread to think we will never see her again. If the worst came to the worst and she was never found, how will we deal with that for the rest of our lives?” said Mr Bulley.
Lancashire Police have said they are keeping an “open mind” about what happened, but do not believe Ms Bulley was attacked.
Pictured: Rescue teams continue probe to find Nicola Bulley
Wednesday 1 February 2023 18:15 , Thomas Kingsley
ICYMI: Mystery of mother who vanished during a work conference call
Wednesday 1 February 2023 17:15 , Thomas Kingsley
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 has appealed for a “potentially key witness” to come forward.
Read more on the mystery so far, below:
Nicola Bulley: Mystery of mortgage adviser who vanished while walking her dog
‘No sign of a fall’ near river, parents of Nicola Bulley say
Wednesday 1 February 2023 15:24 , Thomas Kingsley
The parents of Nicola Bulley said there was “no sign” the mother of two fell near the river as they fear someone may have taken her.
Recalling their last conversation, he said: “Her mind was great, we picked the children up the Thursday before she went missing, as we do every Thursday.
“We took them home, Nicola had had a meeting with her boss in Garstang and she said can you stay a bit later because I have an important client coming in on Zoom. We said ‘no problem’ and stayed.
“She had done her work and she was very upbeat about getting her mortgage sorted.
“I said we better go now and Nicola came to the front door, and I gave her a kiss and told her I loved her and that was the last conversation I had with her.”
Ernest said: “There was no sign of a slip or falling in so our thought was ‘has somebody got her’?
“I asked the Sergeant from Fleetwood a few days ago, ‘is there any chance of her being taken’ and she said ‘I don’t think that’s the case’.
“I said ‘how can you know that?’, it’s such an isolated area, the only way that has happened is if it was someone who knew her.”
Nicola Bulley's children 'cried their eyes out' after being told 'mummy's lost'
Wednesday 1 February 2023 14:45 , Thomas Kingsley
Nicola Bulley's two young daughters reportedly “cried their eyes out” when their dad explained to them that their mum was lost.
Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell reportedly had to tell their children about what had happened, and her mum Dorothy revealed: “He just said 'mummy's lost.”
The Sun reports that his dad David added: “They cried their eyes out.”
Missing mother would ‘never leave her two girls’, says friend
Wednesday 1 February 2023 13:45 , Thomas Kingsley
Heather Gibbons, a friend, told Sky News: “You go from being hopeful to heartbroken, and just trying to be strong, because all we want is to find her for her girls and for Paul.”
She added: “You want to hold on to the hope that no news is good news.
“But knowing Nikki, we just know that if she could be at home with her girls, we very firmly believe that’s where she would be. Her family are everything.”
Another friend, Emma White, described Ms Bulley as “the kindest, beautiful, lovely human being inside and out”, adding that her partner, Paul, was “being strong as possible” for the couple’s two children, aged nine and six.
“We don’t know why she’s gone missing, where she is, we just want her home,” she said.
Missing mother’s family issue desperate plea
Wednesday 1 February 2023 13:00 , Thomas Kingsley
Nicola 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.
“We have got to get some good news now.”
Mr Ansell said he or Ms Bulley, also known as Nikki, would drop the children, aged nine and six, off at a local primary school before taking Willow for a walk along the river nearby.
Ms Bulley did the school run before heading for the dog walk on Friday, police indicated.
“I got a call from the school regarding somebody who had found Willow, and Nikki’s phone and the dog lead and harness on the bench,” Mr Ansell, who then called the police, said.
“We take the kids to school and take the dog down there – either myself or Nikki – nearly every day.”
What happened to Nicola Bulley?
Wednesday 1 February 2023 12:24 , Thomas Kingsley
Emergency crews including Lancashire Fire and Rescue, Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue team and the North West Underwater Search Team have have been part of the investigation to find missing mother Nicola Bulley.
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.
Ms Bulley has been missing for five days now since the morning of 27 January when she was walking her brown spaniel after 9.15am.
Police have released an appeal describing the mother’s physical appearance: a 5ft3 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.
Still, there is no clarity on where Ms Bulley could be.
Read the full story here
Key witness found in search for missing dog walker Nicola Bulley
Wednesday 1 February 2023 12:20 , Thomas Kingsley
Police have found a key witness in the search for missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.
Officers from Lancashire Constabulary said on Tuesday morning they were looking to talk to an elderly male dog walker who was seen in the area at the time of Ms Bulley’s disappearance.
In the evening they put out a statement saying: “He has since been located and is currently being spoken to. Our thanks to those who shared our appeal.”
In a statement Nicola’s family said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support from our community and would like to thank everyone for their ongoing efforts to help us find Nicola.
“The girls are desperate to have their mummy back home safe with them and your ongoing efforts have provided comfort to them whilst we await news on Nicola.
“We ask for anyone who thinks they may have any Information that may help the police find Nicola to please come forward and help them with their enquiries.”
Police search ‘abandoned house’ for missing dog walker
Wednesday 1 February 2023 12:17 , Thomas Kingsley
An “old abandoned” house has been searched in a bid to locate missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.
Teams scoured the area near Garstang Road in St Michael’s on Wyre in Lancashire as they tried to trace the 45-year-old.
Kev Camplin, of Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue, said the grounds of a large unoccupied country house, along with a long stretch of the river, including wooded areas and water margins were searched.
He said: “The abandoned house is right opposite the bench on the other side of the river, over a 10ft garden wall. It’s quite posh.
“We didn’t go into the house, as a volunteer search and rescue team we don’t actually go into buildings. We might go into a barn or something.
“We leave that to the police. While the team was searching the grounds, the owner was there for some reason, and we asked him to go in and he had a quick look around and she wasn’t there.”
Welcome
Wednesday 1 February 2023 12:15 , Thomas Kingsley
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live blog on the search for missing Lancashire mother, Nicola Bulley. Follow our blog for all the latest updates from the investigation.
