Exactly three weeks ago, Nicola Bulley went missing.
A desperate search to find her is continuing, which today enters its 21st day. The mum of-two was last seen on the morning of Friday, January 27.
Specialist dive and search teams have scoured the River Wyre in Lancashire near where the 45-year-old was last spotted. Police have searched the surrounding areas, including a number of buildings, and boats have been spotted trawling the coast off Morecambe Bay.
READ MORE: 'Deeply troubling': Fury over police statement detailing missing mum Nicola Bulley's alcohol issues
Yesterday, Lancashire Police held a press conference detailing everything the force knows so far. They said 40 detectives have sifted through hundreds of hours of CCTV, dashcam footage and tip-offs from the public.
In a statement, they revealed that Nicola was classed as 'vulnerable' and as a 'high-risk' missing person. They also revealed that the mum had suffered with ‘some significant issues with alcohol’, which was met with criticism online as people questioned why details on private life needed to be released.
Police said there is 'no evidence to indicate a criminal aspect or third-party involvement'. Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith said all the evidence suggested that Nicola down to the river and did not return.
Here is everything we know so far:
What we know happened on the day Nicola was reported missing
At 8.26am, Nicola left her home with her two daughters, aged six and nine, dropping them off at school and engaging in a brief conversation with another parent around 15 minutes later. She then took Willow for a walk along the path by the River Wyre at 8.43am, heading towards a gate in the lower field and was later seen by dog walker who knew her.
At 8.53am, Nicola sent an email to her boss, followed by a message to her friends six minutes later, before logging on to a Microsoft Teams call at 9.01am. She was seen by a second witness at 9.10am, the last known sighting.
Her phone was back in the area of the bench at 9.20am before the Teams call ended 10 minutes later, with her mobile remaining logged on after the call. At 9.33am, another dog walker found her phone on a bench beside the river, with Willow darting between the two.
At 10.50am, Nicola's family, her partner Paul Ansell and the school attended by her children were told about her disappearance.
What Nicola was wearing
According to police, she was wearing a black Engelbert Strauss coat, black jeans and had long green walking socks tucked into her trousers under ankle length green wellington boots. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and she was wearing a pale blue Fitbit.
Witnesses spoken to by detectives
On January 31, Lancashire Constabulary spoke with a potential witness, a man who had been walking a small white fluffy dog near the River Wyre at the time of Nicola's disappearance. On February 2, officers spoke with a second witness who they had identified with the help of the public using CCTV but they told police they did not have any further information to aid their inquiry.
On February 4, the force announced it wanted to trace a 'key witness' who was seen pushing a pram in the area. The day after, the 'key witness' came forward.
The force insisted she was 'very much being treated as a witness' as it warned against 'totally unacceptable' speculation and abuse on social media.
Specialist dive teams join the search
On February 6, underwater search teams arrived to help. Ms Bulley’s friends said they hoped the help of a specialist underwater rescue team would give the family answers.
Her partner Paul said in a statement: "It’s been 10 days now since Nicola went missing and I have two little girls who miss their mummy desperately and who need her back." Underwater search expert Peter Faulding, who was helping to find her, said he did not think the missing mother was in the water.
On February 8, Mr Faulding said after three unsuccessful days of looking in the water, he was 'baffled'.
Two arrested over malicious communications sent amid search
Two people were arrested on suspicion of sending malicious communications over Nicola's disappearance. Lancashire Police said it received reports over messages being sent to Wyre Council members.
A 49-year-old man from Manchester and a 20-year-old woman from Oldham were arrested on suspicion of malicious communications offences. The man was bailed pending further inquiries until May 12 while the woman remains in custody.
'Vulnerable' Nicola was classed as a 'high-risk' missing person and had suffered with 'some significant issues with alcohol'
Nicola suffered with 'some significant issues with alcohol' in the past which had resurfaced over recent months, police revealed. She had 'ongoing struggles' with the menopause and was classed by police as a 'high-risk' missing person immediately after Paul reported her disappearance.
A statement on the Lancashire Police website said: "We have described how Nicola had some vulnerabilities at the time she went missing and we just wanted to expand on that a little. Sadly, it is clear from speaking to Paul and the family that Nicola had in the past suffered with some significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause and that these struggles had resurfaced over recent months."
Police visited Nicola's home on January 10 following a report of 'concern for welfare'
Police said Nicola's struggles had caused some 'real challenges for Paul and the family'. They revealed that on January 10, 2023, officers attended a report of concern for welfare at Nicola’s home address 'as result of those issues'.
No one has been arrested in relation to this incident, but it is being investigated. The police said it is an 'unusual step' to reveal such detail about someone’s private life, but that they felt it was 'important to clarify' what they meant by 'vulnerabilities'.
Detectives keeping an open mind
Police said that while keeping an 'open mind', their 'main working hypothesis' remains that Nicola went into the river during a '10-minute window' between 9.10am and 9.20am that day. Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson said: "There is no evidence to indicate a criminal aspect or third-party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance."
Asked if she hoped to find Ms Bulley alive, Det Supt Smith said: "I hope with all my heart that we find Nicola Bulley alive more than anything". But she said all the evidence suggested that Nicola went down to the river and did not return.
Lancashire Police being 'inundated with false information, accusations and rumours' about the case
Police said a number of 'persistent myths' continue to circulate following the disappearance of Nicola. They said they are being 'inundated with false information, accusations and rumours' about the case which is 'distracting' them.
Here are the 'persistent myths' referred to during the press conference:
- Derelict house
There has been speculation about a derelict house on the other side of the River Wyre. However, Ms Smith said it has been searched three times, with the permission of the owner, and Nicola was not there.
- Red van
Reports from witnesses described seeing a red van they considered to be suspicious in the area around the time Nicola went missing. Police said they are continuing to make enquiries to try to track down the van, but it is not believed to be suspicious.
Ms Smith added: "We are continuing to investigate that so that we can identify whoever was in the area at that time to make sure they can’t give us more information."
- Fisherman
There have also been reports of fisherman seen in the area on the morning of Nicola's disappearance, who were described as suspicious. Ms Smith said: “I myself don’t find it suspicious that fisherman would be in the area of a river that morning or carrying fishing rods.”
However, officers have checked CCTV, contacted local angling clubs and appealed for information, following a witness report about a fisherman in the area supposedly trying to cover his face.
- Glove
Police said a glove found in the area does not belong to Nicola. Ms Smith said: "You’ll no doubt be aware that TikTokers have been playing their own private detectives and have been in the area.
"A glove has been recovered that is not believed to be relevant to the investigation, it is not Nicola’s but we have got that in our possession."
- Caravan site
Rumours have circulated about CCTV at a nearby caravan site not working. Lancashire Police says this is not the case and officers have been helped 'beyond all belief' by owners of the site.
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