Police divers search river and seal off scene in hunt for missing dog walker
Police divers have returned to the spot where missing dog walker Nicola Bulley was last seen to carry out an extensive new search of the area.
A team of frogmen trawled beneath the surface of the River Wyre while other officers combed the banks and a fire service boat team accompanied by a specialist search dog scoured the water surface.
The mortgage adviser, 45, disappeared walking her brown spaniel Willow near the River Wyre in the village of St Michael's in Lancashire at about 9.20am on Friday.
A member of the public raised the alarm at about 10am when they recognised the dog running loose without a harness on. The mum's mobile phone was also found nearby.
They phoned the school where Nicola's daughters' attend and staff then phoned her partner Paul Ansell.
Mum appeared 'completely normal' moments before vanishing while walking dog
He then called the police and a massive search has been ongoing since then.
Back at the scene where Nicola was last seen, Lancashire Fire and Rescue teams returned to the river bank by the bench with a 20-foot-long probe attached to an underwater camera.
Shortly after, at around 10.40am, a specialist underwater unit arrived bearing oxygen tanks and long yellow cables dressed in black.
Nicola Bulley has been missing since January 27
Divers searching the River Wyre (Daily Mirror)The police divers are extensively searching the section of water which is said to be 18 feet deep.
It comes as Lancashire Police put out a further appeal to find another witness they would to speak to.
They described her as wearing a red and white coat with a fur hood, light-coloured trousers and a light bobble hat.
She was walking a small, white dog. They stressed she was being looked at as a witness.
Nicola Bulley lives in Inskip, Lancashire (PA)
Police released this image of a potential new witness in the search for Nicola Bulley (Lancashire Police)It has been six days since the alarm was raised by a member of the public who found Nicola’s belongings and dog by the bench.
Nicola's mobile was also found and police said she was dialled into a work call, but had her camera off and was muted.
Lancashire Police have stressed they don't think there is any third-party involvement.
Devastated parents promise to never stop looking for mum-of-two who vanished
Specialist search teams from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and the police, on the River Wyre on February 2 (PA)However, her parents exclusively told The Mirror this week how they fear that someone had taken her.
They also told us that it was completely out of character for Nicola to disappear and that she had been looking forward to a spa day with her sister and getting her mortgage sorted.
Nicola has not been seen or heard from since as family, friends and the close-knit community grow increasingly concerned about her whereabouts.
Her disappearance has gripped large parts of the country as specialist officers along with volunteer groups launched a massive search to find her.
Divers have been searching underwater at the river (Daily Mirror)
Specialist search teams from Lancashire Police on the River Wyre on February 2 (Daily Mirror)Nicola's parents, Ernest, 73, and Dot, 72, vowed "we will never stop looking for her".
Ernest told the Mirror he feared someone had taken her.
He said: "There was no sign of a slip or falling in so our thought was 'has somebody got her'?
Police have now sealed off the path where Nicola Bulley was last seen"I asked the Sergeant from Fleetwood a few days ago, 'is there any chance of her being taken' and she said 'I don't think that's the case'.
"I said 'how can you know that?', it's such an isolated area, the only way that has happened is if it was someone who knew her."
Willow is Nicola Bulley's spaniel that was with her when she went missing (Dave Nelson)
Nicola with her partner PaulWhile Nicola's family live in hope of her turning up, Ernest confessed their worst fears: "We just dread to think we will never see her again, if the worst came to the worst and she was never found, how will we deal with that for the rest of our lives."
But Ernest vowed: "We will never stop looking."
Specialist search teams with remote submarine equipment searching the River Wyre (Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
Specialist search teams from Lancashire Police continue their search into finding Nicola Bulley (Daily Mirror)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 black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive-green ankle wellies. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.
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.
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