03 February 2023 , 14:56
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Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley is likely to have fallen into the river and her disappearance is not suspicious, police have said today.
Today marks one week since the mortgage adviser, 45, was last seen while taking her family dog Willow on a walk in the tight-knit village of St Michael's-on-Wyre in Lancashire.
Lancashire Police's Superintendent Sally Riley said today that their “main working hypothesis” is that she fell into the River Wyre and that “this is not suspicious but a tragic case of a missing person”.
She told reporters at the village hall: "We have not found Nicola - but our search continues."
Supt Riley said their search had stretched 15 kilometres to the coast, officers have combed CCTV and dashcam footage and gone door-to-door to try and paint a picture of what happened.
Nicola Bulley's children 'cried their eyes out' after being told 'mummy's lost'
She said from this they were able to determine that Nicola did not leave the riverside.
Inquiries so far have left a 10-minute window in which police say they cannot account for Ms Bulley's movements last Friday.
Nicola's family are desperate for answers (Lancashire Constabulary / SWNS.C)Police also gave an updated description of what Nicola was wearing when she disappeared.
Nicola is described as white, 5ft 3ins tall, with light brown shoulder-length hair. She speaks with an Essex accent.
She was last seen wearing a long, ankle-length black quilted gilet. She had a black Vector coat underneath which had long sleeves and came to her waist.
She was wearing tight black jeans and had long green walking socks tucked into her jeans. She was wearing ankle length green wellington boots from Next.
Supt Sally Riley speaking to media on February 3Her hair was tied into a ponytail. She was wearing a necklace and pale blue fitbit.
A member of the public raised the alarm when they spotted the brown spaniel running loose without its harness and recognised Nicola's phone on a bench.
They called her daughters' school and then phoned Nicola's partner Pau Ansell.
At the time of her disappearance, Nicola's phone was still connected to a work call.
Mum appeared 'completely normal' moments before vanishing while walking dog
The Mirror today revealed how minutes before that call she had texted a friend about meeting up sometime this week with her kids.
Nicola's disappearance has captured the nation as police are still searching for the mum.
Earlier today, the Mirror retraced Nicola's steps before she went missing.
Paul Ansell also spoke publicly for the first time today and said he's trying to be strong for his daughters.
Nicola’s phone was found on a bench on the banks of the River Wyre (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)He told Sky: "I don't know how I am coping. I don't want to think about that. I am just focused on the girls."
He said: "It's a week on as yet it seems like we are no further on. It just seems impossible like a dream.
"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.
The search for Nicola continues in the River Wyre on February 3 (CHRIS NEILL)Speaking about the public support, he said: "It's amazing - it's the only thing we can take. it gives us a great amount of comfort.
"We're never gonna lose hope, of course, we are not. Right now it's like she vanished into thin air. It's just insane."
In the past seven days, extensive searches of the river and footpaths have been carried out by specialist police search teams and partner agencies including HM Coastguard, mountain rescue and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.
Nicola Bulley is still missing seven days on (Lancashire Constabulary / SWNS.C)They have also used specialist search dogs, drones, police helicopters and divers.
Detectives have also been analysing telephony, house-to-house, CCTV, dashcam and carrying out other digital enquiries and examining information coming into the inquiry.
Yesterday, Lancashire Police also appealed for a second potential key witness to come forward, who was later identified but said she hadn't seen Nicola that morning.
Friends and family have said Nicola's disappearance was totally out of character.
Police released this map to illustrate Nicola's movements (Lancashire Police)Nicola's mum Dot told the Mirror this week she had also been making plans for a spa break with her sister Louise.
Supt Riley said: “It’s now a week since Nicola went missing and her disappearance has understandably caused a huge amount of concern and upset in the local community, as well as being an absolutely awful time for her family.
"As a mum I can’t begin to imagine the suffering they are going through. We are supporting them as best we can and keeping them updated on our efforts to try and find Nicola.
Nicola was last seen on a dog walk (strava)
Nicola Bulley with her partner Paul Ansell at Centre Parcs in December“We have done a huge amount of work both in terms of searches of the area as well as extensive enquiries which have been going on behind the scenes and based on that work we are as sure as we can be that Nicola has not left the area where she was last seen and that very sadly for some reason she has fallen into the water.
“There is absolutely nothing to suggest from all the extensive enquiries we have made that anything untoward has happened to her or that there is any third-party involvement in her disappearance.
“This remains a missing person enquiry and we will continue to carry out searches and to do everything we can to find Nicola and provide her family and the community with the answers they desperately need.
“Officers will be in and around the village and anyone with information or concerns should feel free to approach us.”
Anybody who has seen Nicola, or has information about where she might be, is asked to call 101, quoting log 565 of January 30th. For immediate sightings please call 999.