Nicola Bulley – latest: Police tell vigilante searchers to stop 'breaking ...

8 Feb 2023
Nicola Bulley update
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Nicola Bulley – latest: Police tell vigilante searchers to stop ‘breaking into empty property’

Lancashire Police say members of public searching St Michael’s on Wyre not helping

Specialist dive company boss looking for missing Nicola Bulley speaks out

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Police working on the Nicola Bulley case have urged vigilantes to stop “breaking into empty property” to search for the missing dog walker.

In an update on the twelfth day since the dog walker’s disappearance, Lancashire Police superintendent Sally Riley said members of the public “taking the law into their own hands” were not helping, notably those burgling and trespassing in their attempts.

Supt Riley also urged people to stop speculating over what may have happened to Ms Bulley, warning they were frustrating the police investigation and distressing affected family members.

Despite opening 500 lines of inquiry and contacting 700 drivers who were in the area when Ms Bulley was last seen on 27 January, police said they had “so far not found anything of note”.

She was speaking after Peter Faulding, head of a private company employed to search the river, said if Ms Bulley were not found today he would suspect a “third party” was involved in her disappearance.

Supt Riley said officers still believe Ms Bulley fell into the river and Mr Faulding is not privy to all police knowledge.

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Stop taking law into your own hands, police urge

Police working on the Nicola Bulley case have urged vigilantes to stop “breaking into empty property” to search for the missing mother-of-two.

A Lancashire Police spokesperson said people “taking the law into their own hands” were not helping, particularly those who have included burglary and trespass in their approach.

“They may mean well. They may want to help. But they can help by thinking back to if they were in the area and holding the family in their thoughts.

She added: “We will not tolerate online abuse of anyone, including witnesses.”

Liam James7 February 2023 16:04

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Police say search leader Faulding not included in all investigation detail

After a search leader said Nicola Bulley is not in the river, Lancashire Police Superintendent Sally Riley said Peter Faulding is not included in “all the investigation detail” about the missing dog walker.

It comes after the leader of underwater search experts SGI said he believes she has not been in the river and raised the prospect of “third party” involvement in her disappearance.

Ms Riley said: “Our search has not found Nicola in the river and then a re-search in parts by SGI has found the same. That does not mean... that Nicola has not been in the river.

“In the light of other inquiries being discounted from the investigation so far... clearly our main belief is that Nicola did fall into the river.

“Clearly Mr Faulding isn’t included within all the investigation detail any more than the members of the public are that I’m briefing through these sorts of press conferences.”

Shweta Sharma8 February 2023 05:45

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Police reject suggestions Nicola Bulley could have been a victim of crime

Police have rejected suggestions that missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley could have been a victim of crime.

Supt Sally Riley, of Lancashire Police, said “every single” potential suspicion or criminal suggestion that had come in, had been looked at by detectives and discounted.

She said, “I would like to reassure the community that nothing in this investigation so far, it has been checked out if it has come in suggesting crime, it has been checked and discounted.

“So every single potential third party line of inquiry and potential suspicious or criminal element has been looked at and discounted.

“It does remain our belief that Nicola sadly fell into the river and that this is a missing persons inquiry.”

Shweta Sharma8 February 2023 05:00

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Police reveal there are 500 lines of inquiry in search for missing Nicola Bulley

Police have urged members of the public not to share conspiracy theories about the disappearance of Nicola Bulley online as they revealed they were looking into 500 lines of inquiry.

At a press conference yesterday, Lancashire Police Superintendent Sally Riley said: “At the moment there are around five hundred active pieces of information and lines of enquiry that we are working on to try and find answers for Nicola’s family.”

However, they also said the scale of efforts was that of a “normal missing persons enquiry and does not indicate there is anything suspicious to this story”. But she urged people not to speculate on what happened as theories circulating online were hurtful to the family.

She said: “This is particularly hurtful to her family, to her children, to her partner Paul, her parents, her sister and her friends. It is not helpful to them it’s distressing and distracting for the police enquiry.”

Shweta Sharma8 February 2023 04:15

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Nicola Bulley: Search expert believes ‘third party involved’ if missing mother not in river

Nicola Bulley: Search expert believes ‘third party involved’ if missing mother not in river

Joe Middleton8 February 2023 03:30

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Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she disappeared revealed

Missing dog walker Nicola Bulley’s final text before she “vanished into thin air” has been revealed.

The 45-year-old was last seen walking her dog by the river in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on Friday 27 January. She was still logged into a Microsoft Teams call which had ended at 9.30am when her phone was recovered.

Just half an hour earlier, the mother of two had texted a friend to book a playdate. She sent the message at 8.57am shortly before logging into the Teams call, locals at a village meeting were told.

Joe Middleton8 February 2023 02:30

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Speculation over Nicola Bulley disappearance 'hurtful' for family, police say

Speculation over Nicola Bulley disappearance 'hurtful' for family, police say

Joe Middleton8 February 2023 01:30

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What is the underwater technology being used in hunt for missing Nicola Bulley?

A private diving team has joined the search to help find 45-year-old Nicola Bulley.

The mother of two was last seen walking her dog near the River Wyre in Lancashire on January 27. Police are working on the hypothesis that she fell into the river, though this claim has not been substantiated with any evidence and her family and friends have disputed it.

On Monday, a private team of divers led by forensic expert Peter Faulding were drafted in to widen the search for Ms Bulley.

Joe Middleton8 February 2023 00:30

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Nicola Bulley’s disappearance ‘is one of the most odd cases’, says head of private underwater search team

The disappearance of Nicola Bulley is one of the “most odd cases,” the head of a private underwater search team has said.

The mother-of-two, 45, has been missing since Friday, 27 January, when she went out to walk her dog near the River Wyre.

Lancashire Police have said they are working off a hypothesis that the mortgage adviser fell into the water.

Peter Faulding told Good Morning Britain that police divers searched the area where Ms Bulley’s phone was seen and nothing was found, which was “highly unusual.”

Nicola Bulley disappearance is ‘most odd case’, says head of private search team

The disappearance of Nicola Bulley is one of the “most odd cases,” the head of a private underwater search team has said. The mother-of-two, 45, has been missing since Friday, 27 January, when she went out to walk her dog near the River Wyre. Lancashire Police have said they are working off a hypothesis that the mortgage adviser fell into the water. Peter Faulding told Good Morning Britain that police divers searched the area where Ms Bulley’s phone was seen and nothing was found, which was “highly unusual.” Click here to sign up for our newsletters.

Joe Middleton7 February 2023 23:30

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Search for missing Nicola Bulley ‘extended out to the sea’, police confirms

Search for missing Nicola Bulley ‘extended out to the sea’, police confirms

Joe Middleton7 February 2023 22:30

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