Nicola Bulley police hit back at dive expert saying he doesn't know all details

08 February 2023 , 15:09

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Cops have spoken out about Peter Faulding's involvement in the search for Nicola, saying he does not know all the details (Image: PA)

Police officers said the diving expert helping in the search effort for missing dog walker Nicola Bulley does not know all the details.

Peter Faulding, the founder of private forensic searchers Specialist Group International (SGI), was drafted in to help the river search with SGI's high-tech sonar equipment.

Mr Faulding has told a number of news outlets he thinks mum-of-two Nicola is not in the River Wyre, before backtracking and saying she wasn't.

Cops have now sought to make clear that the diver has not been party to all the details of their wider investigation.

During a press conference in St Andrew's on Wyre village hall last night, superintendent Sally Riley of the Lancashire Constabulary said:

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"Our search has not found Nicola in the river and then a re-search in parts by SGI has found the same."

Nicola with her partner Paul Ansell (Facebook)

Nicola has been missing for 13 days

Superintendent Riley said that didn't mean Nicola had not been in the river.

“In the light of other inquiries being discounted from the investigation so far… clearly our main belief is that Nicola did fall into the river," she said.

“Clearly Mr Faulding isn’t included within all the investigation detail any more than the members of the public are that I’m briefing through these sorts of press conferences.”

The officer's comments came after Mr Faulding, who had offered his services for free, previously claimed Nicola's phone, which was discovered on a bench still connected to a meeting, could be a decoy.

Mr Faulding, whose firm is based in Surrey, hit back after superintendent Riley's comments, saying it would be "useful" to have all the information, which he would typically be privy to when helping with an investigation.

Nicola Bulley's partner visited the search scene on Wednesday morning - with the mum-of-two missing for 13 days.

Paul Ansell was snapped being briefed by police Mr Faulding as he looked out across the River Wyre at the point where investigators believe his long-term girlfriend fell in.

Mr Faulding searching the river Wyre (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

The 45-year-old vanished on January 27 after dropping off her two children at school in St Michael's, Lancashire, before taking family dog Willow for a walk on a nearby trail.

However, her phone was later found on a bench, with the springer spaniel wandering nearby without her harness.

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Paul, 44, is understood to have been contacted by another dog walker who came across the scene on the morning of the disappearance.

He then rushed over and called the police.

Superintendent Sally Riley speaking at a press conference on Tuesday night (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

On Monday, he said he and everyone close to Nicola, needed to know what happened to her.

He added that Nicola's daughters "miss their mummy desperately" and have been going through "a tough time" since her disappearance.

However, Lancashire Police have ruled out foul play, with Superintendent Sally Riley yesterday playing down Mr Faulding's theories.

"We would ask that we be allowed time to continue with those inquiries and release to the public only what is relevant," she added.

Alice Peacock