Nicola Bulley’s family have insisted there is ‘no evidence whatsoever’ that the missing mother fell into the river, encouraging others to ensure all leads are ‘investigated fully’.
The 45-year-old vanished while walking her dog Willow after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on the morning of Friday 27 January.
She was last seen near the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, with police saying their ‘main working hypothesis’ is that she fell into the river and that ‘this is not suspicious but a tragic case of a missing person’.
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Superintendent Sally Riley of Lancashire Police said that inquiries so far had left a 10-minute window in which they cannot account for Bulley’s movements that day.
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They also believe that she did not leave the riverside area after looking through CCTV, dashcam and Ring doorbell footage.
Riley said: “Our main working hypothesis is that Nicola has suddenly fallen into the river, that there’s no third-party or criminal involvement, and that this is not suspicious but a tragic case of a missing person.”
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However, her family have insisted there is ‘no evidence’ to back up this ‘theory’ yet, calling on investigators to keep an ‘open mind’.
Bulley’s sister Louise Cunnigham said in a statement on Facebook: “Off the back of the latest police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it's just a theory.
“Everyone needs to keep an open mind as not all CCTV and leads have been investigated fully, the police confirmed the case is far from over.”
Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, has said the family will ‘never lose hope’ and that his main focus is to remain strong for the couple's young daughters.
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“Every single scenario comes to a brick wall,” he said.
“Every single one of them.
“All we are doing is sitting there going round and round and round through each scenario.
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“We’re never, ever going to lose hope, of course we’re not, but it is as though she has vanished into thin air. It’s just insane.”
He added: “My whole focus is my two girls, just staying as strong as I can for them.
“I’m scared that if I put focus into anything else it’s going to take my focus off that.
“Just hoping to goodness that anything comes out from the interview yesterday no matter how tiny.”
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Lancashire Police have said they do not believe any crime has been committed and are treating the incident as a missing person inquiry.
Topics: UK News
Jess Hardiman