Nicola Bulley: police think missing dog walker fell into river

Police investigating the disappearance of Nicola Bulley are working on the assumption she fell into a river while on a work call and walking her dog, saying they have found no indication of any criminal involvement.

Bulley, a 45-year-old mortgage adviser from Inskip in Lancashire, vanished on 27 January while walking her springer spaniel Willow after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school last Friday morning.

Her mobile phone and the lead and harness for her dog were found on a bench close to the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre in the Lancashire countryside. A major search operation had been mounted since, police said.

At a press conference on Friday, Lancashire police Supt Sally Riley said: “Our main working hypothesis is that Nicola has sadly fallen into the river, there is no third-party or criminal involvement and this is not suspicious but the tragic case of a missing person.

“This is particularly important because speculation otherwise can be really distressing for the family and for Nicola’s children.”

Police said searches of the river and nearby footpaths were to continue, aided by HM Coastguard, mountain rescue and Lancashire fire and rescue service. They said they have used specialist search dogs and drones, as well as police helicopter and divers.

Officers have also been analysing Bulley’s phone and footage from CCTV and dash cameras, as well as going house-to-house in search of information.

They said all witnesses have been traced and added that CCTV footage had discounted the possibility Bulley left the area by almost all of the exits, though they appealed for more dashcam footage covering Garstang Lane, leading to the A586.

“Based on all the work we have done so far, we are now as confident as we can be that Nicola has not left the field where she was last seen and our working hypothesis is that she has fallen into the river for some reason,” officers said.

“There is no evidence whatsoever that there is anything suspicious about her disappearance or any third-party involvement in her going missing. Our investigation remains open and we will of course act on any new information which comes to light.”

Police added that they believed Bulley was able to swim and asked for anyone who came across items of clothing possibly belonging to her to come forward.

They said she was wearing an ankle-length black, quilted gilet and a black Vector coat underneath, which had long sleeves and came to her waist. Officers added that she was wearing tight black jeans, with long green walking socks tucked into them. She was also wearing ankle-length green wellington boots from Next, a necklace and pale-blue Fitbit. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.

Supt Sally Riley said: “This remains a missing person inquiry and we will continue to carry out searches and to do everything we can to find Nicola and provide her family and the community with the answers they desperately need.

“Officers will be in and around the village and anyone with information or concerns should feel free to approach us.”