Nicola Bulley search: What we know about her disappearance

Nicola Bulley vanished connected a riverside canine locomotion successful St Michael's connected Wyre, Lancashire connected 27 January. Police judge she tragically fell into the water, but nary hint of her has been found.

What bash we cognize astir her disappearance?

That Friday greeting looked similar immoderate different time for Nicola Bulley and her family.

She carried retired the accustomed greeting routines. She loaded up her car with her canine Willow earlier driving to the section schoolhouse to driblet disconnected her 2 daughters, aged six and nine.

The 45-year-old near her parked car successful St Michael's connected Wyre and took Willow for a riverside walk.

But she ne'er returned and, contempt a large search, her household inactive bash not cognize why.

Ms Bulley walked on the way by the River Wyre astatine 08:43 GMT and was seen by a chap canine walker, who knows her, erstwhile she was successful the little field.

She went connected to nonstop an email to her brag and logged into a Teams league telephone for her occupation arsenic a owe adviser, arsenic she would usually do.

She was past seen by different canine walker astatine astir 09:10, erstwhile she was connected the precocious field.

About 25 minutes aboriginal her phone, inactive connected to the call, was recovered connected a seat connected a steep riverbank overlooking the water, on with the canine pb and harness connected the ground.

Detectives judge she fell into the river. They are treating the lawsuit arsenic a missing idiosyncratic enquiry and bash not judge her disappearance was suspicious.

"We judge that Nicola was successful the riverside country and remained astatine the riverside area," Det Supt Sally Riley, who is starring the investigation, has said.

Despite this belief, the detective has said they stay "fully open-minded to immoderate accusation that whitethorn bespeak wherever Nicola is oregon what happened to her".

A unit spokesperson said they could "say with confidence" that Ms Bulley had not near the tract "via Rowanwater, either done the tract itself oregon via the portion of onshore astatine the side" and did not instrumentality from the fields on Allotment Lane oregon via the way astatine the rear of the Grapes pub connected to Garstang Road.

Inquiries are present focussed connected the stream way which leads to Garstang Road, an country not covered by CCTV.

Officers are presently pursuing astir 500 lines of inquiry.

They are besides seeking immoderate 700 motorists seen successful the country astatine the clip of her disappearance, arsenic they anticipation dashcam footage volition assistance supply answers.

They person utilized constabulary divers successful the river, drones and helicopters arsenic portion of the search, spoken to respective cardinal witnesses and made a fig of appeals.

Detectives person besides analysed information from Ms Bulley's mobile telephone and her Fitbit astute watch, and searched derelict houses and bare caravans successful the vicinity.

The River Wyre, which is astir 28 miles (45km) long, flows done Lancashire to articulation the Irish Sea astatine Fleetwood.

Police person present extended their hunt successful the h2o to Morecambe Bay and Knott End.

Ms Bulley's household had requested the assistance of a specializer diving team, Specialist Group International (SGI), which assisted the constabulary successful the hunt of the river.

After a fewer days, SGI said it had completed its enactment and near the scene.

The firm's laminitis Peter Faulding said his squad was pulling retired due to the fact that helium believed Ms Bulley was "categorically not" successful the country of stream wherever constabulary judge she fell in.

"We've done precise thorough searches each the mode down to the weir," helium said.

"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.

"That country is wholly antagonistic - determination is nary motion of Nicola successful that area."

He said constabulary divers had already dived it 3 times "extremely thoroughly".

Ms Faulding added: "The main absorption volition beryllium the constabulary probe down the river, which leads retired to the estuary."

After constabulary revealed they believed Ms Bulley had fallen into the river, her sister, Louise Cunningham, urged radical to support looking for her and to "keep an unfastened mind".

She said connected Facebook determination was nary grounds she had fallen into the stream and it was "just a theory".

Ms Bulley's spouse Paul Ansell visited the spot wherever constabulary judge she fell successful with the members of the dive team, including Mr Faulding.

He said Mr Ansell was "extremely upset" but had wanted to spot wherever the believed introduction constituent was.

In an earlier appeal, Mr Ansell said helium had "two small girls who miss their mummy desperately and who request her back".

"This has been specified a pugnacious clip for the girls especially, but besides for maine and each of Nicola's household and friends.

"It is arsenic though she has vanished into bladed air."

Hundreds of volunteers person been helping successful the ongoing search, with immoderate of Ms Bulley's friends organising teams of radical to scour the area.

The turnout for the hunt had been "amazing", Ms Bulley's person Heather Gibbons, said.

Meanwhile, thousands of radical person been pursuing and commenting connected the lawsuit online, with galore sending emotion and champion wishes to the family.

Others though person been sharing speculation, described by Ms Gibbons arsenic "vile" and "incredibly hurtful".

She added: "The speculation is massive. I mean it's quality quality - everyone's going to person their thoughts, their theories, everyone volition beryllium speculating.

"But to spot immoderate of the vile speculation online - immoderate of the theories that are incredibly, incredibly hurtful - I don't deliberation radical are realising that the household are sitting astatine location and are capable to entree and spot each of that."

She said she was acrophobic that "as [Ms Bulley's daughters] get older, they volition beryllium capable to look backmost and they volition beryllium capable to spot everything that was said".

Ms Gibbons besides said the country appeared to person go a "tourist spot", beyond those helping search.

She said immoderate radical had been turning up to "do idiosyncratic societal media things" which was "hard" to see.

Police excessively person condemned societal media maltreatment of those helping with the inquiry, saying it was "totally unacceptable".

A connection added: "We would impulse radical to retrieve that we are investigating the disappearance of Nicola, and the precedence is Nicola and her family. We privation to find her and supply answers to her family."

Mr Ansell said helium would "never suffer hope" of uncovering her.