A woman who disappeared while walking her dog warned of her usual “ghostly” route several weeks before she disappeared.
Nicola Bulley, 45, went missing on Friday morning – found with her mobile phone on a bench near where she was last seen on a towpath along the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.
Nicola has “two little girls who need their mama at home,” her friend said as the search for her continues. Her cell phone was still connected to a conference call when it was found, police said.
A post appeared on social media today in which Ms Bulley shared photos of herself walking her beloved dog, Willow, close to the spot where she disappeared on January 27.
In November, Ms. Bulley posted how bad and spooky the sight was on her dog walk
She said, ‘A very foggy cold walk this morning, not a day to forget your gloves! Bit creepy too! However, set me up for the day and Willow had the best time’.
Police are seeking information on her whereabouts. Mrs. Bulley is described as white, 5ft 7in tall, with light brown shoulder-length hair.
At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing a long black hooded gilet, black jeans and olive green ankle boots. Her hair was in a ponytail.
Willow was found by a local and Nikki’s phone was discovered with a dog leash on a bench.
On the couch, Mrs. Bulley is believed to have left her cell phone on before disappearing on Friday
Ms Bulley and her partner Paul Ansell who said today he and the family were very concerned and that she has ‘two little girls who need their mummy at home’
Mrs. Bulley was walking this dog, Willow, when she was reported missing on Friday
In an update on Monday, police said they are keeping an “open mind” about what happened but do not believe Ms Bulley was attacked.
The dog, the Springer Spaniel Willow, was found loose between the river and the bank.
Ms Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, said from the family home in Inskip, Lancashire, that he spent all Sunday looking for the mother-of-two.
The engineer, who has been in a relationship with Ms Bulley for 12 years, said: ‘It’s just eternal hell. It’s just utter disbelief.
“We’re going through this, but it doesn’t feel real.
Police search a bank along the River Wyre near where the missing mother-of-two was last seen Friday morning
The police are looking for the missing mother and are concerned about her whereabouts
“All we can say is we need to find her. She has two little girls who need their mama at home.
“We should get some good news now.”
Mr Ansell said he or Ms Bulley, also known as Nikki, would drop the children aged nine and six at a local primary school before taking Willow for a walk along the river nearby.
Ms Bulley did the school run before going to the dog walker on Friday, police said.
“I got a call from the school about someone finding Willow, Nikki’s phone and the dog leash and harness on the couch,” said Mr Ansell, who then called police.
“We take the kids to school and take the dog there — myself or Nikki — almost every day.”
Ms. Bulley, a mortgage adviser, has lived in Lancashire for 25 years, but is originally from the area of Chelmsford, Essex, and has a southern accent.
She was last seen by a bystander around 9:15 a.m., police said.
Chief Inspector Sally Riley of Lancashire Police told the Mirror Ms Bulley’s phone was still engaged when it was found: ‘It was on a conference call and it was still live. It was connected to the conference call and it hadn’t ended.”
The officer told a press conference that the fear of Ms. Bulley grows with the passage of time.
She said: “Police are open to what could have happened, but we believe there is a good chance Nicola is missing and this is not a crime investigation.
‘We have set up a very intensive operation to find Nicola.
“We have a large area to search.
“People are missing, but as time passes, we are more and more concerned about Nicola.
“But we very much hope that we will soon find something to bring her home safe and sound.
“We are appealing to anyone who drove through the village of St Michael’s at around 9.15am last Friday morning or who has dashcam footage that may be of use to us, or anyone who may have walked dogs in the area or on the towpath, to come forward.
“They can dial 101 or, if they see Nicola, 999.”
Searches have been carried out by Lancashire Police, using a helicopter, drones and dogs with support from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue team and the North West Underwater Search Team.
Local residents have also organized searches in the area.
- Anyone with information can call 101, citing log 473 dated 27 January, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.