Police hunt for Nicola Bulley enters third week as cops search closer to sea and 'look for shabby red van'

10 February 2023, 06:52 | Updated: 10 February 2023, 07:41

The search for missing mum Nicola Bulley has extended to the sea as it reached the end of the second week since she vanished.

Ms Bulley was last seen in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, at around 9.15am on January 27 walking her dog.

Police divers and private specialists have scoured the river near where she was last seen, but there has been no trace of her.

Officers have maintained their theory that Ms Bulley fell into the river, but they are also considering whether Ms Bulley could have left the area without being seen on CCTV.

A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: "People may have seen less police activity today than previously in the area of the river above the weir but that is not because we have stepped down our searches, it is because the focus of the search has moved further downstream into the area of the river which becomes tidal and then out towards the sea."

At the same time, a 55-year-old woman told The Times that she had reported a red van to police on the day Ms Bulley went missing, and again on February 2.

"I was on my way to the cake shop when I saw a tatty red van in Hall Lane outside a barn," she said.

"I didn't think anything at the time, but when I saw Nicola had gone missing, I called 101 and spoke to an operator. I contacted the police again and spoke to a police officer.

"It could have been a Renault van. It was the sort of van you can live in."

A Lancashire Police spokesperson declined to comment on the claims, but said: "We have received a huge amount of information into the enquiry, all of which is being looked at, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has assisted our investigation so far."

It comes after diving specialist Peter Faulding, whose team were brought in to help with the search, pulled out of the search for Ms Bulley after completing the area they were tasked with searching.

He has reiterated his belief that Ms Bulley is not in the river, despite that remaining the primary hypothesis of Lancashire Police.

He said: "It's a total mystery for me, I really don't know. In all the searches I've done, this is one which will stick with me.

"Normally we get tasked with, you know, searching for a knife or a body and there's been a witness to a drowning or we've got really good intelligence.

"The sort of information we've got here is a mobile phone on a bench but we don't know anything else."

Read More: Amateur sleuths hunting Nicola Bulley banned from searching abandoned house after police warning

Ms Bulley's partner Paul Ansell made an emotional visit to the riverside yesterday where he was pictured chatting with Mr Faulding about his partner's disappearance.

Earlier this week, Mr Ansell said: "I have two little girls who miss their mummy desperately and who need her back.

"This has been such a tough time for the girls especially but also for me and all of Nicola's family and friends, as well as the wider community and I want to thank them for their love and support.

"We are also really grateful to Peter and his team from SGI for coming up and helping support the work of Lancashire Police as they continue their investigation.

"If anyone has any information which could help find Nicola, I urge them to get in touch with the police and help us provide the answers we all so badly need."

It comes after Lancashire Police were forced to issue a dispersal order after a group of amateur sleuths travelled from Liverpool to search an abandoned house near where Nicola Bulley went missing.

On Wednesday night, Lancashire Police issued a dispersal order as a group of men wanted to search a house on the other side of the river where police said Ms Bulley fell into.

Earlier this week, superintendent Sally Riley warned police would not tolerate members of the public taking the law into their own hands.

She said: "We will not tolerate online abuse of anyone, including innocent witnesses, members of the family and friends, of local businesses, or of criminal damage or burglary. We will be taking a strong line on that, as you would expect."