Police investigating the case of missing mum-of-two Nicola Bulley have confirmed that there is still no suggestion of criminal involvement in her disappearance.
Nicola has not been seen since going out for a walk with her dog Willow in St Michael's on Wyre on the morning of January 27, after dropping her two daughters off at school. Giving a press conference on Wednesday, Lancashire Police said that the investigation has so far involved a team of 40 detectives who have been scouring "hundreds of hours" of CCTV and dashcam footage, as well as speaking to numerous witnesses and combing through information submitted by the public.
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson said: "It remains the case there is no evidence to indicate a criminal aspect or third-party involvement in Nicola's disappearance. However, the officers involved in the investigation are the same experienced specialists, and many senior officers, who are concerned with the investigation of the most serious and complex crimes."
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Lancashire Police added that they have visited more than 300 premises in the search for Nicola, spoken to almost 300 people as part of the investigation, and received around 1,500 pieces of information. Specialist resources have been used on both land and water, as the search along the River Wyre continues.
"We continue to search extensively the River Wyre and surrounding area downstream and out into the sea towards the estuary," Constable Lawson said. Reiterating that there was no evidence to suggest that a crime had been committed, police stressed that they are "meticulously reviewing all the information" gathered so far in the case as investigations continue.
Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith addressed the huge level of interest that has been shown in the case and dispelled a number of "persistent myths" regarding Nicola's disappearance, including reports concerning a derelict house by the river and a red van seen in the area. Saying that it remains her main working hypothesis that mum-of-two fell into the river, Supt Smith said: "We are being inundated with false information, accusations and rumours which is distracting us from our work."
Police said that their focus remains on providing answers for Nicola's family, including her partner Paul Ansell and their two children, aged six and nine. Anyone with information relevant to the case can submit information on the Lancashire Police portal.
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