Nicola Bulley – latest: Ex-detective who exposed Jimmy Savile to join search

A former detective crucial to the investigation of both the Jimmy Savile and Madeleine McCann cases is set to join the search for Nicola Bulley.

Ms Bulley was last seen walking her dog in a field near the river in St Michael’s on Wyre on 27 January.

Journalist Mark Williams-Thomas, who both exposed the prolific sex offender and investigated the missing girl’s kidnap suspect Christian Brueckner, said he hoped to “dismiss some of the inaccuracies” aired by armchair detectives.

It comes after a witness told police he saw two men acting suspiciously near the route that Ms Bulley regularly walked her dog on the day before her disappearance.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said the “hooded” men were “carrying fishing rods” and “were trying to hide their faces”.

“It was very strange. It made me uneasy,” the witness told The Sun.

The two men were spotted at around 7.45am on the day before Ms Bulley vanished. The witness said “they could just have been two normal fishermen” but “they seemed to want to hide their faces, which struck me as odd”.

Key Points

• Any traces of missing woman will have vanished now, says ex-officer

• Witness ‘saw two suspicious men’ before Bulley’s disappearance

• Police ‘took nine days to return call to key witness

• Partner’s strength a miracle, says close friend and neighbour

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friends of Nicola Bulley have not given up hope

05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Friends and neighbours of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, who disappeared more than a fortnight ago, have not given up hope she will be found.

Well-wishers continued to leave hand-written “messages of hope” yesterday that the 45-year-old mortgage adviser will be found unharmed in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, where she vanished while walking her dog.

The messages, which first appeared on flower-shaped ribbons on Sunday, have been written on yellow ribbons on a bridge over the River Wyre in the village.

Newly-left messages say “hope is the last thing ever lost” and “Nikki, I love you, come home”.

Read more here.

Friends of missing Nicola Bulley have not given up hope she will be found

Nicola Bulley’s sister shares urgent plea as search for missing dog walker enters third week

05:00 , Liam James

Nicola Bulley’s sister is urging members of the public to keep sharing the campaign to bring her home as the search enters its 18th day.

The missing dog walker’s friends and family have launched the ‘Bring Nikki Home’ campaign with her sister, Louise Cunningham, encouraging people to get involved on social media.

Ms Bulley’s loved ones are urging people to post a yellow logo on Facebook to raise awareness of the 45-year-old’s disappearance and encourage potential witnesses to come forwards. On Sunday Ms Cunningham posted the logo with the request to “please keep sharing”.

Offensive voicemail sent to local councillor

04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A local councillor reportedly received a late-night “offensive” voicemail about the missing 45-year-old mother-of-two who disappeared on 27 January.

Nicola Bulley, a mortgage adviser, was last seen near the River Wyre river at around 9.20am, after dropping her daughters aged six and nine, at the school in the village.

Five of the six members of the Inskip-with-Sowerby parish council received phone calls, The Mirror reported, citing sources.

The “mystery phone calls” were made between 12.45am and 3am on Saturday. “The police have got a copy of that call,” the source was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

Describing the content of the message, the source added: “Offensive, I wouldn’t say it was abusive, I would say it was offensive.”

Meet the armchair detectives determined to solve the Nicola Bulley case

04:00 , Liam James

The wisdom of crowds always has a few outliers – and this crowd is enormous. Right at this moment a cacophony of ideas are being pitched and skewered by armchair detectives in thousands of posts on Reddit and other websites. Their objective?

To explain the high-profile disappearance of Nicola Bulley, a 45-year-old mother-of-two who went missing while walking her dog along the river near St Michael’s on the Wyre on 27 January.

Ben Bryant writes:

Meet the armchair detectives determined to solve the Nicola Bulley case

Police spotted at caravan site near where Nicola Bulley disappeared

03:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Police have been spotted at the caravan park near where Nicola Bulley vanished on 27 January.

Officers were spotted at the Wyreside Farm Park Caravan Site yesterday, near where the 45-year-old missing woman disappeared while walking her dog.

There has been a major search of the area and river using sniffer dogs and diving teams after her mobile phone and dog were found but she failed to return home.

Kate Plummer has more.

Nicola Bulley: Police spotted at caravan site near where dog walker disappeared

Witness ‘saw two suspicious men’ before Nicola Bulley’s disappearance

02:00 , Liam James

A witness has told police he saw two men acting suspiciously near the route that Nicola Bulley regularly walked her dog on the day before her disappearance, it has been claimed.

The witness, who did not wish to share his account publicly, said he spotted the pair outside the church in St Michael’s on Wyre and on a nearby bridge on 26 January.

A worker at a local garage said the witness gave information to police after officers asked for anyone who had been in the area around the time the mother-of-two was last seen to come forward, according to The Sun.

The paper reported that police had requested footage from St Michael’s Garage last Thursday that covered the 24 hours before Ms Bulley disappeared.

Witness ‘saw two suspicious men’ before Nicola Bulley’s disappearance

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

00:00 , Liam James

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.

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

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

22:30 , Liam James

A former detective who exposed Jimmy Saville’s history of abuse has joined the search for missing dogwalker Nicola Bulley (Maryam Zakir-Hussain writes).

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.

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

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

21:15 , 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.

Police should have treated Nicola Bulley case like murder or abduction, says ex-cop

20:15 , Liam James

Former detective Mark Williams-Thomas said he believed police should have treated the Nicola Bulley case as if an abduction or murder had taken place.

Mr Williams-Thomas, who is known for exposing Jimmy Saville’s sexual abuse history, said: “This would now be a critical incident being dealt with as suspicious, if it had been down to me.

“Within 48 hours I would have treated this in the same fashion as a murder or abduction. I think police have been right to say they have an open mind – the problem that they have got is that they also said it wasn’t criminal.”

Nicola Bulley: Lack of slip marks doesn’t rule out river fall, says ex-cop

19:15 , Liam James

A former Metropolitan Police officer said he supported the police view that Ms Bulley fell in the river, after intense speculation over other potential explanations for the missing dog walker’s disappearance.

“Every picture I see of that river bank shows the edge is a sheer drop. So the lack of foot slip marks or any disturbed ground doesn’t stop me thinking she has fallen in. I think it is most likely she is in that river,” he told Mail Online.

However, he said it was strange that diving experts were searching a specific area. He said: “She has been missing for over 14 days now – she could be four miles away.”

He added: “They must do everything they can to stop a body getting to the sea where it will be lost.”

Messages left for Nicola

18:15 , Emily Atkinson

Yesterday, family and friends of Nicola showed she has not been forgotten by leaving yellow ribbons with handwritten messages on a bridge close to where she disappeared.

Ribbons with messages including “We need you home Nicola”, “praying for your safe return” and “I love you” have been tied to a footbridge over the River Wyre. A large poster with a photograph of Ms Bulley has also been attached to the railings.

Nicola Bulley: Police spotted at caravan site near where dog walker disappeared

16:15 , Emily Atkinson

Police have been spotted at the caravan park near where Nicola Bulley vanished.

Officers were spotted today at Wyreside Farm Park Caravan Site, near to where the 45-year-old missing woman disappeared 17 days ago while walking her dog, MailOnline reports.

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

Kate Plummer reports:

Nicola Bulley: Police spotted at caravan site near where dog walker disappeared

15:50 , Emily Atkinson

Mounted police in Knott End-on-Sea take part in the search for missing woman Nicola Bulley, who vanished on 27 January in Wyre, Lancashire.

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

15:13 , 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.

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

15:05 , Emily Atkinson

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.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

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

Nicola Bulley's disappearance 'is one of the most odd cases', says head of private underwater search team

14:30 , Emily Atkinson

Nicola Bulley’s sister shares urgent plea as search for missing dog walker enters third week

14:10 , Emily Atkinson

Nicola Bulley’s sister is urging members of the public to keep sharing the campaign to bring her home as the search enters its 18th day.

The missing dog walker’s friends and family have launched the ‘Bring Nikki Home’ campaign with her sister, Louise Cunningham, encouraging people to get involved on social media.

Ms Bulley’s loved ones are urging people to post a yellow logo on Facebook to raise awareness of the 45-year-old’s disappearance and encourage potential witnesses to come forwards. On Sunday Ms Cunningham posted the logo with the request to “please keep sharing”.

Lucy Skoulding reports:

Nicola Bulley’s sister shares urgent plea for sibling as search enters third week

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

13:45 , Emily Atkinson

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

The mother-of-two has been missing since January 27 when she was last seen walking her dog around 9.20am by the River Wyre near Preston in Lancashire.

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.

William Mata reports:

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

Underwater search expert explains why he doesn’t believe missing dog walker is in river

13:15 , Emily Atkinson

An underwater search for missing Nicola Bulley is continuing following a fresh appeal by her partner, who said her two daughters “desperately” miss her and “need her back”.

The search for Ms Bulley, 45, is entering its 11th day after she went missing on January 27 in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

In a statement released on Monday through Lancashire Police, her partner Paul Ansell said: “I have two little girls who miss their mummy desperately and who need her back.”

Underwater expert explains why he doesn’t think missing Nicola Bulley is in river

Meet the armchair detectives determined to solve the Nicola Bulley case

12:45 , 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

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

12:15 , 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.

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

11:37 , Emily Atkinson

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.

Milica Cosic has more:

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

Ex-detective who investigated Jimmy Savile to join search

11:00 , Emily Atkinson

A former detective crucial to the investigation of both the Jimmy Saville and Madeleine McCann cases is set to join the search for Nicola Bulley.

Journalist Mark Williams-Thomas, who both exposed the prolific sex offender and investigated the missing girl’s kidnap suspect Christian Brueckner, is travelling to St Michael’s on Wyre this week to analyse what could have happened to the mother-of-two.

Posting to Twitter this morning, Mr Williams-Thomas said he hopes to rule out a number of theories aired by armchair detectives since she vanished 1on 27 January.

Mr Williams-Thomas said: “I will be spending time up in St Michael’s on Wyre next week to pull together a quick turn around report of what exactly is known about the disappearance of Nicola Bulley.

“I will explore all the options, bring you a factual evidence analysis and dismiss some of the inaccuracies.”

ICYMI: Messages of hope tied to River Wyre bridge as Nicola Bulley search continues

10:39 , Emily Atkinson

Paul Ansell’s strength a miracle, says close friend

10:17 , Emily Atkinson

A close friend of Nicola Bulley has praised the strength of partner Paul Ansell as “nothing short of a miracle”.

Charlotte Drake, a next door neighbour of Ms Bulley’s, said: “He does not want to break down on camera in view of millions of people watching and where his kids may see it.

“He has to remain strong as he has to hold on to hope we will find Nikki.”

She said that when many people would be sitting at home waiting for news, Mr Ansell “is using the media exactly as it should be used, to share the facts, highlight the lack of evidence and spread the word far and wide, so that he can hopefully reach someone that knows something”.

Witness ‘saw two suspicious men’ before Nicola Bulley’s disappearance

09:58 , Emily Atkinson

Liam James has more on this morning’s top story:

A witness has told police he saw two men acting suspiciously near the route that Nicola Bulley regularly walked her dog on the day before her disappearance, it has been claimed.

The witness, who did not wish to share his account publicly, said he spotted the pair outside the church in St Michael’s on Wyre and on a nearby bridge on 26 January.

A worker at a local garage said the witness gave information to police after officers asked for anyone who had been in the area around the time the mother-of-two was last seen to come forward, according to The Sun.

Witness ‘saw two suspicious men’ before Nicola Bulley’s disappearance

09:40 , Emily Atkinson

Candles illuminate a photo of missing woman Nicola Bulley and her partner Paul Ansell at St Michael's Church in St Michael's on Wyre, as police continue their search for the missing dog walker.

Police are continuing to look for Ms Bulley, 45, and have widened their search towards the Morecambe Bay end of the River Wyre.

Watch: Everything we know about Nicola Bulley's disappearance so far

09:22 , Emily Atkinson

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

09:00 , 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 has the details:

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

Investigation widened to include day before disappearance

08:45 , Emily Atkinson

Lancashire Police on Sunday widened its investigation to include the day before Nicola Bulley disappeared.

Police requested CCTV footage from a garage in St Michael’s on Wyre that covers one of the key exit points from the fields where Ms Bulley went missing.

A garage worker confirmed the CCTV camera was operational and records vehicles on the main road through the village and the top of a country lane that branches onto the back of The Grapes, a pub close to where Bulley was last seen more than two weeks ago.

The worker, who did not wish to be named, told The Sun on Sunday: “Two smartly dressed officers came in following up, a man and a woman.

“They wanted the CCTV from the day before Nicola vanished and to take statements of any activity we had seen from that day. These officers were different to the ones in uniform, they seemed very assertive.”

Retired detective reveals three reasons she believes Nicola Bulley is in the river

08:30 , Emily Atkinson

Police investigating the disappearance of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire are right to explore the theory that the mother-of-two is in the River Wyre, a retired detective has said.

Julie Mackay, a former detective inspector at Gloucestershire Police, said no new evidence had emerged to suggest otherwise.

Ms Bulley 45, of Inskip, Lancashire, vanished while walking her dog in a field next to the river in St Michaels on Wyre on the morning of 27 January after dropping her two children off at school.

Matt Mathers reports:

Retired detective reveals three reasons she believes Nicola Bulley is in the river

Latest images from the River Wyre - where Nicola Bulley was last seen

08:15 , Emily Atkinson

Everything we know so far about Nicola Bulley as mother vanishes while walking dog

08:00 , 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 adviser, 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.”

Here is Joe Middleton with everything we know so far:

Everything we know so far as mother vanishes while walking dog

Forensic expert offers to carry out searches on land

07:45 , Emily Atkinson

A forensic specialist who searched the waters for Nicola Bulley, who went missing last month, has offered to carry out investigations on land.

Peter Faulding, whose Specialist Internationalist Group firm searched a stretch of the river where Ms Bulley was last seen, said he was consulting with the family about carrying out a land search for the 45-year-old.“I’ve offered to go up privately and put my investigative mind to it,” Mr Faulding told The Telegraph.

“I’m visiting in my own time to discuss looking at other areas without interfering with the police operation. Normally you carry out land searches, that’s what the family want.”

He reiterated that it was unlikely that Ms Bulley fell in the river, saying: “On the river on the day it wasn’t running very fast.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with the family and they said she was so cautious, did the same route every day, didn’t go near the river and her Fitbit shows she doesn’t go near the river. She would have to be pushed really hard to be launched out into the middle of the river.”

Timeline of dog walker’s mysterious disappearance

07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The last known movements of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley have been revealed by police.

Nicola Bulley, 45, a mortgage adviser, was last seen last Friday morning at around 9.20am while walking her dog alongside the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

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.

Read more.

Timeline of Nicola Bulley’s mysterious disappearance

Five things forensics expert claims don’t add up

07:05 , Jane Dalton

Peter Faulding, the chief executive of Specialist Group International, which failed to find Nicola Bulley, set out issues that he said were baffling – including why her phone was left on a bench and why police did not seal off the area:

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

Witness ‘saw two hooded men’ before Bulley’s disappearance

06:48 , Emily Atkinson

A witness has told police he saw two hooded men acting suspiciously near the route that Nicola Bulley regularly walked her dog on the day before her disappearance.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said the men were "carrying fishing rods" and "were trying to hide their faces". “It was very strange. It made me uneasy," the witness told The Sun.

The two men were spotted at around 7.45am on the day before Ms Bulley vanished. The witness said "they could just have been two normal fishermen" but "they seemed to want to hide their faces, which struck me as odd".

‘Nothing to suggest’ tatty red van spotted on day of Nicola Bulley disappearance is suspicious

06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

There is “nothing to suggest” the red van spotted on the day of Nicola Bulley’s disappearance is suspicious, Lancashire Police have said.

Police have confirmed that they are making efforts to identify the owner but there is no reason to suspect it is anything other than one of many hundreds of vehicles in the area that morning.

A 55-year-old unnamed witness told The Times that they saw a “tatty red van in Hall Lane outside a barn” on the day of Ms Bulley’s disappearance.

The witness said “its the sort of van you can live in” and said the van could have been a Renault.

Martha McHardy has more.

‘Nothing to suggest’ red van spotted on day Bulley vanished is suspicious

Police widen investigation to include day before disappearance

06:05 , Jane Dalton

Lancashire Police have widened their investigation to include the day before Nicola Bulley disappeared, requesting CCTV from a local garage that covers one of the key exit points from the fields where she went missing:

Police widen investigation to include day before Nicola Bulley went missing

Partner’s strength a miracle, says friend

05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A next-door neighbour and close friend of Nicola Bulley has praised the strength of her partner Paul Ansell as “nothing short of a miracle”.

Charlotte Drake, whose children regularly play with Ms Bulley’s, said: “He does not want to break down on camera in view of millions of people watching and where his kids may see it.

“He has to remain strong as he has to hold on to hope we will find Nikki,” she told Metro.co.uk.

Ms Drake also described her friend as “without doubt the most beautiful person, inside and out who would do anything for anyone”.

“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,” she said.

“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.”

Images scoured for clues

05:05 , Jane Dalton

Broken CCTV camera ‘would have seen everything’ in Nicola Bulley disappearance