Nicola Bulley: police think missing dog walker fell into river

Police investigating the disappearance of Nicola Bulley are working on the assumption that she has “sadly fallen into the river” as she walked her dog and there is no criminal involvement.

Bulley, 45, a mortgage adviser from Inskip, Lancashire, vanished 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.

An unprecedented search operation had been mounted since, police said.

At a press conference on Friday, Supt Sally Riley, of Lancashire police, 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.”

More details soon …