'No evidence' dog walker Nicola Bulley slipped and fell into river, police say
The detective leading the search for Nicola Bulley has admitted there is "no evidence" to support the theory she slipped into the River Wyre - but said an attack is unlikely.
Mum-of-two Nicola hasn't been seen since the morning of January 27 and police are still unable to explain what happened to her as the search reaches its tenth day.
A close family friend said her loved ones and pals are "not willing" to accept the river bank fall as a conclusion.
At the moment police believe it is the most likely scenario and say there is nothing that points to third-party involvement.
Last night Lancashire Constabulary said a key witness had come forward after an appeal to locate a woman who was in the area at the time.
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Hundreds of volunteers have joined searches in St Michael's on Wyre as the community tries to piece together what happened to Nicola., 45
The search for Nicola Bulley in Lancashire has entered its tenth day (Lancashire Constabulary / SWNS.C)Speaking to the Sunday Times, Superintendent Sally Riley said her officers had not found any proof that Nicola had fallen in the river.
She said there were no scuff marks on the ground close to where her phone was found - but said she would not necessarily expect them to be.
“If it is sheer and you lose your footing, you might not have any marks left on the grass," Ms Riley said.
She added that there is nothing to support third-party involvement.
The police superintendent told the newspaper: “When you triangulate all the witnesses, the CCTV, the digital and the telephone, the whole picture, it produces such a tiny window for criminal involvement that it becomes highly unlikely."
Police have still been unable to provide a conclusive conclusion (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)On Friday Nicola's sister cast doubt on the police theory, saying there was "no evidence whatsoever" to support it, and called on the public to keep an open mind.
Ms Riley said police haven't ruled anything out.
Close friend Heather Gibbons, 33, said she had met with police yesterday, telling the Sunday Times: "We consider the accident theory to be just that — a theory. We are not willing at this stage to accept it as a conclusion.”
She 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 (Nicola's partner) Paul."
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Superintendent Sally Riley said there are no signs of scuffs on the banks of the river (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)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."
Nicola dropped her two daughters at school and walked her springer spaniel Willow on the morning she vanished.
Willow was found by another dog walker with her lead and harness removed, and she was dry.
On Friday Ms Riley told reporters she believes Nicola put her phone on a bench due to an "issue" with her pet - possibly trying to retrieve a ball.
Dog behaviour expert Ross McCarthy told the Independent: "It all depends on the dog’s association with water, and their relationship with the owner and so on, as to whether they would jump in.
"Some would through play or investigation and others would just mooch about on the side and some would panic at the strange situation."
Nicola was walking her pet dog Willow when she vanished (Lancashire Constabulary / SWNS.C)Nicola had logged in to a Microsoft Teams call at 9.01am, which ended at 9.30am with her phone still connected to the call.
She was seen by another dog walker at 9.10am - the last known sighting - and police traced records of her mobile phone as it remained on a bench overlooking the river at 9.20am.
The phone was found by a dog walker at around 9.35am, with Willow nearby.
Superintendent Sally Riley told a press briefing it was "possible" Nicola toppled into the river while trying to retrieve a tennis ball.
Superintendent Riley told the MailOnline after the press conference: "I'm not aware of a dog ball being retrieved but it's possible that a ball could have rolled down the steep bank close to the edge of the water and Ms Bulley was bending down to pick it up.
"What she was wearing could also be a factor."
Extensive searches have been carried out of the river bank (PA)In a Facebook post, Nicola's sister, Louise Cunningham, urged people to "keep an open mind" as there is "no evidence whatsoever" that the dog walker fell in the river.
"Off the back of the latest Police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it's just a theory," she said.
"Everyone needs to keep an open mind as not all CCTV and leads have been investigated fully, the police confirmed the case is far from over."
Her friend, Emma White, also cast doubt on the police theory, telling Sky News it was based on "limited information".
"When we are talking about a life we can't base it on a hypothesis - surely we need this factual evidence," she said.
"That's what the family and all of us are holding on to - that we are sadly no further on than last Friday.
"We still have no evidence, and that's why we're out together in force. You don't base life on a hypothesis."
The police search has been aided by specialists and divers from HM Coastguard, mountain rescue, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service - with sniffer dogs, drones and police helicopters deployed.
Last night Lancashire Constabulary appealed for a woman seen on CCTV pushing a pram close to the River Wyre on the morning Nicola vanished.
A few hours later officers confirmed that she had come forward - stressing that she was "very much being treated as a witness".
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