Nicola Bulley – latest: Police ‘stop vigilante searchers’ as hunt for dog walker moves to sea

A dispersal order was issued by police last night after a vigilante search party combed an abandoned house on the hunt for Nicola Bulley, as the search for the missing dog walker has now moved to the sea.

Ms Bulley disappeared 12 days ago shortly after dropping her two daughters off at school. Her phone was found still connected to a Microsoft Teams call on a bench by the riverbank, with her dog running loose nearby.

Lancashire Police said the decision to issue of the order “followed reports of individuals - from outside the area of St Michael’s - filming on social media close to properties.

“The order will remain in place for 48 hours and gives officers the power to disperse anyone committing anti-social behaviour.

“Two dispersal notices were issued, and a number of other people were warned about their behaviour.”

The force added that it would “not tolerate criminality, including trespass and criminal damage”.

It comes as the search for the mother-of-two has now reached the mouth of the river, near Fleetwood, with police looking along the western coast and into the Irish Sea and Morecambe Bay, Sky News reports.

Key Points

• Nicola Bulley search moves to sea as police ‘stop vigilantes hunting derelict home’

• Nicola Bulley’s body ‘may have been swept out to sea'

• Search expert’s river hunt ends without solving ‘mystery’

• Friend hits out at those making scene a ‘tourist spot’

• Stop taking law into your own hands, police urge

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

Police told of ‘tatty red van’ seen on day Nicola Bulley went missing

07:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Police may be searching for a “tatty red van” after a local resident noticed the vehicle parked in the village on the morning Nicola Bulley went missing.

The 55-year-old witness, who has not been named, told The Times that they saw “tatty red van in Hall Lane outside a barn”.

“I didn’t think anything at the time, but when I saw Nicola had gone missing, I called 101 and spoke to an operator.”

The witness said they contacted the police again and said the van could have been a Renault, adding it was the “sort of van you can live in”.

A second witness told The Sun that they had reported seeing a red van which “looked suspicious” at around 9.40am on the day Ms Bulley disappeared.

The man called the police three days after the mum-of-two went missing and was asked if he had any dashcam footage of the vehicle.

Mapped: Where could Nicola have gone in the mystery 10-minute window?

10:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The disappearance Nicola Bulley continues to puzzle the police and public as almost two weeks have passed since the mum-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.

We map out the rough radius where the 45-year-old could have walked and driven in those unaccounted minutes:

Where could Nicola have gone in the mystery 10-minute window?

‘My brother went missing in same place as Nicola Bulley - exactly 45 years before’

09:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A man whose brother went missing on the same stretch of river where Nicola Bulley disappeared but exactly 45 years earlier has shared his sympathies with her family.

Don Jones said “we know just what they must be going through,” as his brother Roger also vanished on January 27 close to the River Wyre near Preston in 1978.

Mother-of-two Ms Bulley has not been seen since around 9.15am on the same day in 2023 and emergency services have still not located any trace of her in the water.

‘My brother went missing in same place as Nicola Bulley - exactly 45 years before’

Friend of missing looking to ‘jog’ people’s memory with campaign

08:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A friend of Nicola Bulley said a campaign highlighting her disappearance a fortnight ago will be looking to “jog” people’s memory about the day the Lancashire woman went missing.

Emma White, speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, said: “It is two weeks today.

“The local community are coming out to raise that profile, we’re trying to jog anybody’s memory. Dashcam footage of Garstang Road, which is just outside of the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, just by the bridge that you go over.

“It is quite a key part of the village so people would remember going over it.

“Did they see anything? We’re out with banners, we’ve got placards of Nikki’s face, we’ve got a moving eight-foot LED board with her face on it with the message ‘Bring Nikki home’.

“We just need Nikki home for her two beautiful little girls who need their mummy.”

Nicola Bulley can’t have ‘vanished’ – this is what the police should do now

08:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

It is now 14 days since mum of two, Nicola Bulley was last seen – leaving her family, friends and the police baffled by her disappearance. Let’s be clear: people don’t just vanish, there is always an explanation.

So, what could have happened to her?

Former detective and TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas writes:

Opinion: Nicola Bulley hasn’t ‘vanished’. This is what the police should do now

ICYMI: Search expert’s river hunt ends without solving missing Nicola Bulley ‘mystery’

07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

An underwater search expert said the case of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley is a “complete mystery”, after his team could not find her.

Peter Faulding, who was called in by the family to help find Ms Bulley, met her partner Paul Ansell on Wednesday and told him she had still not been found.

Search expert’s river hunt ends without solving missing Nicola Bulley ‘mystery’

Nicola Bulley vanished two weeks ago and police no closer to finding her

06:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Five hundred lines of inquiry, three potential witnesses approached and one private expert diving team deployed – but still, there is no sign of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.

Thomas Kingsley reports:

Two weeks after Nicola Bulley vanished and there’s more questions than answers

Partner of Nicola Bulley visits scene as diving expert quits search

05:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The partner of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley on Wednesday visited the riverbank where she vanished.

Paul Ansell spent around 10 minutes close to a bench overlooking the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre.

Joe Middleton reports:

Partner of Nicola Bulley visits scene as diving expert quits search

The 12-mile stretch of water that could hold key to finding Nicola Bulley

04:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The focal point of the search for Nicola Bulley on Thursday shifted miles downriver from the spot near St Michael’s on Wyre where her phone and beloved dog Willow were found on the morning of 27 January.

Footage showed rescue boats searching the estuary at the mouth of the River Wyre, where it empties into Morecambe Bay, a limitless body of water which opens into the Irish Sea.

Andy Gregory has more:

The 12-mile stretch of water that could hold key to finding Nicola Bulley

‘My husband went for a walk like Nicola Bulley a year ago – people don’t just vanish’

03:00 , Joe Middleton

The wife of a man who went missing a year ago has urged the family of Nicola Bulley to “keep the faith”, saying “people don’t just vanish”.

Lucy Creaney said she still believes her husband, Finn Creaney, who went missing nearly a year ago after he started a solo hike in Loch Naver, Sutherland, is still alive.

She has urged Ms Bulley’s family to say positive as the search for the missing dog walker was expanded to the sea – some 12 miles downriver from where she was last seen.

‘My husband went for a walk like Nicola Bulley – people don’t just vanish’

Nicola Bulley: Search for missing mother-of-two moves to coastline at Morecambe Bay

02:00 , Joe Middleton

Nicola Bulley vanished two weeks ago and police no closer to finding her – so what happens now?

01:00 , Joe Middleton

As the search extends, there are still more questions than answers in the mysterious case of a missing dog walker, Thomas Kingsley reports.

Two weeks after Nicola Bulley vanished and there’s more questions than answers

Nicola Bulley search moves to sea as police stop vigilantes hunting derelict home

Thursday 9 February 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

The search for Nicola Bulley has now reached the sea, as police were forced to issue a dispersal order to stop vigilantes from hunting for the missing mother-of-two in riverside properties.

The 45-year-old mortgage adviser disappeared on 27 January while taking her dog on a routine morning walk along the River Wyre, in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, after dropping her daughters – aged six and nine – at school nearby.

Her mobile phone was discovered on a bench by the riverbank, still connected to a Microsoft Teams work call, with her springer spaniel running loose nearby. The ensuing search for her, now in its 13th day, has “baffled” investigators and drawn intense national attention.

Nicola Bulley search moves to sea as police stop vigilantes hunting derelict home

Nicola Bulley: 5 things forensics expert claims don’t add up about dog walker’s disappearance

Thursday 9 February 2023 23:00 , Joe Middleton

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

The 45-year-old 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.

5 things forensics expert claims don’t add up about missing dog walker disappearance

ICYMI: 'Baffling case': Private rescue team confirm they are pulling out of Nicola Bulley search

Thursday 9 February 2023 22:00 , Joe Middleton

‘My husband went for a walk like Nicola Bulley a year ago – people don’t just vanish’

Thursday 9 February 2023 21:21 , Joe Middleton

The wife of a man who went missing a year ago has urged the family of Nicola Bulley to “keep the faith”, saying “people don’t just vanish”.

Lucy Creaney said she still believes her husband, Finn Creaney, who went missing nearly a year ago after he started a solo hike in Loch Naver, Sutherland, is still alive.

She has urged Ms Bulley’s family to say positive as the search for the missing dog walker was expanded to the sea – some 12 miles downriver from where she was last seen.

‘My husband went for a walk like Nicola Bulley – people don’t just vanish’

The 12-mile stretch of water that could hold key to finding Nicola Bulley

Thursday 9 February 2023 20:57 , Joe Middleton

What began with the discovery of a mobile phone on a riverside bench – still logged into a work videoconference call but with no sign of its owner – has quickly grown into an “unprecedented” search effort, encompassing hundreds of active lines of enquiry.

With it approaching two weeks since mother-of-two Nicola Bulley was reported missing, the focal point of the search on Thursday shifted miles downriver from the spot near St Michael’s on Wyre where her phone and beloved dog Willow were found on the morning of 27 January.

“People may have seen less police activity today than previously in the area of the river above the weir” at St Michael’s on Wyre, police acknowledged on Thursday.

The 12-mile stretch of water that could hold key to finding Nicola Bulley

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

Thursday 9 February 2023 20:30 , Joe Middleton

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.

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

Nicola Bulley’s partner ‘extremely upset’ after visiting river scene, says search expert

Thursday 9 February 2023 19:32 , Joe Middleton

Witness tells police of ‘tatty red van’ seen on day Nicola Bulley disappeared

Thursday 9 February 2023 19:00 , Joe Middleton

Police could be trying to trace a “tatty red van” that was seen by a witness parked close to the area where Nicola Bulley disappeared.

The 55-year-old witness, who was not named, told The Times, they saw the “tatty red van” outside a barn on Hall Lane.

They added: “I didn’t think anything at the time, but when I saw Nicola had gone missing, I called 101 and spoke to an operator.

“I contacted the police again on Friday and spoke to a police officer. It could have been a Renault van.”

VOICES: Mark Williams-Thomas: Nicola Bulley can’t have ‘vanished’ – this is what the police should do now

Thursday 9 February 2023 17:50 , Joe Middleton

Former detective and TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas reveals the three most likely scenarios – and solutions – as the desperate race to find the missing mum-of-two continues.

Opinion: Nicola Bulley hasn’t ‘vanished’. This is what the police should do now

Nicola Bulley: Search for missing mother-of-two moves to coastline at Morecambe Bay

Thursday 9 February 2023 17:01 , Joe Middleton

ICYMI: Partner of Nicola Bulley visits scene as diving expert quits search

Thursday 9 February 2023 16:41 , Joe Middleton

The partner of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley on Wednesday visited the riverbank where she vanished.

Paul Ansell spent around 10 minutes close to a bench overlooking the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, as the search continued in the Lancashire village.

But he was told by underwater search expert Paul Faulding, called in by the family to help in the hunt, that Ms Bulley, 45, had still not been found.

Partner of Nicola Bulley visits scene as diving expert quits search

Watch: Search for missing mother-of-two moves to coastline at Morecambe Bay

Thursday 9 February 2023 16:00 , Emily Atkinson

Nicola Bulley vanished two weeks ago and police no closer to finding her – so what happens now?

Thursday 9 February 2023 15:30 , Emily Atkinson

Five hundred lines of inquiry, three potential witnesses approached and one private expert diving team deployed – but still, there is no sign of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.

Peter Faulding, founder of underwater rescue team Specialist Group International (SGI), said if the 45-year-old was in the River Wyre where she disappeared on Friday 27, January, his team would locate her.

However, after less than five days after joining Lancashire Police’s operation, the group has pulled out of the “baffling” disappearance.

Thomas Kingsley reports:

Two weeks after Nicola Bulley vanished and there’s more questions than answers

Police reveal there are 500 lines of inquiry in search for missing Nicola Bulley

Thursday 9 February 2023 15:00 , Emily Atkinson

Police have urged members of the public not to share conspiracy theories about the disappearance of Nicola Bulley online as they revealed they were looking into 500 lines of inquiry.

The search for the missing mother-of-two entered its twelfth day on Tuesday and police continue to believe she may have fallen into the River Wyre while walking her dog on 27 January.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Lancashire Police Superintendent Sally Riley said: “At the moment there are around five hundred active pieces of information and lines of enquiry that we are working on to try and find answers for Nicola’s family.”

Liam James reports:

Police reveale there are 500 lines of inquiry in search for Nicola Bulley

Police confirm dispersal order

Thursday 9 February 2023 14:34 , Emily Atkinson

Police have now confirmed that a dispersal order for the village where Nicola Bulley went missing was ordered, after people travelled to the area to reportedly search an abandoned house.

Lancashire Constabulary said: “We can confirm a dispersal order was issued around 8.40pm yesterday (Wednesday February 8) in St Michael’s on Wyre.

“This followed reports of individuals - from outside the area of St Michael’s - filming on social media close to properties.

“The order will remain in place for 48 hours and gives officers the power to disperse anyone committing anti-social behaviour.

“Two dispersal notices were issued, and a number of other people were warned about their behaviour.”

The force added that it would “not tolerate criminality, including trespass and criminal damage”.

Nicola Bulley search moves to sea as police ‘stop vigilantes hunting derelict home’

Thursday 9 February 2023 14:15 , Joe Middleton

The search for missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley has now reached the sea, as police were reportedly forced to issue a dispersal order to stop vigilante search parties from breaking into riverside properties.

The 45-year-old mortgage adviser disappeared on 27 January while taking her dog on its routine morning walk along the River Wyre after dropping her daughters – aged six and nine – at school nearby.

Her mobile phone was discovered on a bench by the riverbank, still connected to a Microsoft Teams work call, with her springer spaniel running loose nearby. The ensuing search for her, now in its 13th day, has “baffled” investigators and drawn intense national attention.

Andy Gregory has the latest:

Nicola Bulley search moves to sea as police ‘stop vigilantes hunting derelict home’

Watch: Police reject suggestion Nicola Bulley's disappearance could be criminal

Thursday 9 February 2023 14:10 , Emily Atkinson

Nicola Bulley’s body ‘may have been swept out to sea’

Thursday 9 February 2023 13:40 , Emily Atkinson

Nicola Bulley’s body may have been swept out to sea by now, the head of the specialist rescue team searching for her has said.

Peter Faulding told The Times that he believed Ms Bulley’s body could have reached the sea by now if she had fallen into the River Wyre, given the distance and the meandering course of the river.

Superintendent Sally Riley also told reporters: “The amount of technology that we have put into the river – clearly as time goes on, the open sea becomes much more of a possibility.”

Police would continue to search the river until they received guidance from national bodies to do otherwise, Supt Riley added.

ICYMI: Search expert’s river hunt ends without solving missing Nicola Bulley ‘mystery’

Thursday 9 February 2023 13:10 , Emily Atkinson

An underwater search expert said the case of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley is a “complete mystery”, after his team could not find her.

Peter Faulding, who was called in by the family to help find Ms Bulley, met her partner Paul Ansell on Wednesday, as day 12 of the search continued in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, and told him she had still not been found.

The mortgage adviser, 45, vanished on January 27 after dropping her two daughters – aged six and nine – at school, then taking her springer spaniel Willow for a walk along the river.

Search expert’s river hunt ends without solving missing Nicola Bulley ‘mystery’

Could ‘Human Mole’ who tackles MI6 mysteries hold key to Nicola Bulley’s disappearance?

Thursday 9 February 2023 12:40 , Emily Atkinson

The mystery of a missing mother-of-two who disappeared while walking her dog has captured the nation’s attention, with no hint of an answer in sight.

Nicola Bulley vanished on a riverside path in Lancashire nearly two weeks ago, and now a man dubbed the ’Human Mole’ is hoping to help find out what happened.

Forensics expert Peter Faulding joined the search for Ms Bulley this week, after raising concerns about the police theory she slipped and fell into the River Wyre.

Martha McHardy reports:

The ‘Human Mole’ forensics expert who could hold key to Nicola Bulley’s disappearance

‘Dispersal order issued after men travel from Liverpool to search for Nicola Bulley'

Thursday 9 February 2023 12:10 , Emily Atkinson

A dispersal order was reportedly issued by police last night after a group of men travelled from the Liverpool area to search for Nicola Bulley in an abandoned house by the River Wyre.

TalkTV reporter Oliver Whitfield-Miocic said: “The police here have just had to issue a dispersal order to a group of men believed to have travelled down from the Liverpool area.

“They wanted to search this abandoned house on the other side of the river where the police believe that Nicola Bulley had accidentally fallen in.

‘All of this despite the police having already searched that area and only 24 hours ago the superintendent in charge of this investigation asking people not to take the law into their own hands and not to search these abandoned properties because it could amount to criminal damage.”

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

Thursday 9 February 2023 11:40 , Emily Atkinson

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

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

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

Eleanor Noyce reports:

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

Rugby league star’s disappearance ‘exactly the same’ as missing Nicola Bulley, brother says

Thursday 9 February 2023 11:11 , Emily Atkinson

The brother of an ex-rugby league player who disappeared in the US more than a year ago says his case is “exactly the same” as that of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley.

Bryn Hargreaves, 36, vanished in Virginia on 3 January last year but while detectives believe his body may be in a lake, he has yet to be found.

Police were first called to his house after a neighbour reported water had been leaking into their apartment.

Matt Mathers has the details:

Rugby star’s disappearance ‘exactly the same’ as missing Nicola Bulley, says brother

ICYMI: Forensics expert says ‘third party’ could be involved in case of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley

Thursday 9 February 2023 10:30 , Emily Atkinson

A forensic expert has warned that a ‘third party’ could be involved in the case of missing Nicola Bulley who disappeared in Lancashire 11 days ago.

The lead of a diving team searching for the dog walker said his instincts tell him if she is not found today in the river near where her phone was found, there was a “third party “ involved in her disappearance.

Peter Faulding, the chief executive of Specialist Group International (SGI) said he is “very surprised” that she has not been found in river searches.

Martha McHardy reports:

Forensics expert says ‘third party’ could be involved in case of missing dog walker

Watch: Underwater search expert responds to claims he has 'ulterior motive'

Thursday 9 February 2023 10:00 , Emily Atkinson