Nicola Bulley: Dive team pull out as search extended

The hunt for Nicola Bulley has been extended aft a specializer diving squad said it had completed its work.

Peter Faulding, from Specialist Group International, said his squad were pulling retired arsenic the mother-of-two was "categorically not" successful the country of stream wherever constabulary judge she fell in.

Ms Bulley, 45, was past seen walking her canine by the stream successful St Michael's connected Wyre successful Lancashire 12 days ago.

The hunt has present been extended arsenic acold arsenic Knott End and Morecambe Bay.

Mr Faulding, who was called successful by the household to assistance with the search, said: "We've done precise thorough searches each the mode down to the weir. Police divers person dived it 3 times, highly thoroughly.

"That country is wholly antagonistic - determination is nary motion of Nicola successful that area. The main absorption volition beryllium the constabulary probe down the river, which leads retired to the estuary."

He added: "If Nicola was successful that stream I would person recovered her - I warrant you that - and she's not successful that conception of the river."

Mr Faulding told the media connected Wednesday that helium felt his squad had "done each they can".

He said helium could not recognize wherefore Nicola was not recovered connected the archetypal time she went missing, adding: "Wherever she is I anticipation closure comes soon."

Police said they inactive believed Ms Bulley fell successful the river, but remained "fully open-minded to immoderate accusation that whitethorn bespeak wherever Nicola is oregon what happened to her".

Officers are presently pursuing astir 500 lines of enquiry and seeking immoderate 700 motorists seen successful the country connected 27 January.

Detectives person besides analysed information from her Fitbit astute watch, they said.

On Wednesday, Ms Bulley's spouse Paul Ansell visited the spot wherever constabulary judge she fell into the river.

Ms Bulley had dropped her 2 daughters, aged six and nine, disconnected astatine schoolhouse and past gone connected her accustomed canine locomotion alongside the stream connected 27 January.

Her phone, inactive connected to a Teams telephone for her occupation arsenic a owe adviser, was recovered connected a seat connected a steep riverbank overlooking the water, on with the canine pb and harness connected the ground.