A neighbour and friend of Nicola Bulley has praised the missing mum's partner Paul Ansell for his 'miracle strength' and courage as the search enters its 17th day. Charlotte Drake, who has lived next to Nicola for five years, has described Mr Ansell's resilience as "nothing short of a miracle" as he continues to look after his two daughters while they hope for their mum's return.
Ms Drake says she last saw Ms Bulley on the morning of her disappearance on January 27, before the mum vanished while walking her dog along the River Wyre in Lancashire. Ms Drake, who has a close friendship with the 45-year-old mortgage advisor, says the family is going through "living hell".
Speaking to the Metro, she said: "Nicola was heading off to drop her kids at school and I saw the car going. Nothing looked strange at all. Our kids are at different schools and hers start a little bit earlier than mine so whenever I see Nikki go out the drive, I tell mine to hurry up."
