The National Crime Agency (NCA) is being brought in to help Lancashire Police in its search for missing mum Nicola Bulley. The 45-year-old was last seen on Friday, January 27, while going for a walk with her dog Willow, near to the River Wyre in Lancashire.
Her phone was found on a nearby bench, with it still connected to a Teams call she had been on which ended at 9.30am. Ms Bulley's last recorded sighting was around 9.10 am. Both her phone and the dog's harness were discovered on a riverbank bench about 25 minutes later. Willow, her springer spaniel, appeared distressed.
Her Strava account shows that the route she was last seen on was one she routinely took, as she frequently shared images of her riverside runs with Willow. On average it would take her 30 minutes to complete her regular walk and return to her car. Her family claim she had parked in the same area "1,000 times over" throughout the years.
Lancashire Police has been criticised for disclosing personal details about Ms Bulley's "vulnerabilities". Reported suggest it has now drafted in one of the UK's top detectives, the Mirror reports.
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The officer, who hasn't been named at this stage, led a specialist team from the NCA, which is the agency that usually deals with organised crime, trafficking, and even fraud.
Most recently, the detective worked on the case of murdered police community support officer Julia James, according to The Sunday Times.
They have reportedly advised Lancashire Police to bring external experts into the search, which could include digital media specialist, forensic clinical psychologists, and even a dog behavioural specialist.
Lancashire Police was criticised earlier this week for disclosing personal details about Ms Bulley's "vulnerabilities". And the Home Secretary is reported to have outlined her concerns over the investigation.
A source close to the Home Secretary said Ms Braverman had outlined her concerns over the disclosure during a meeting with Chief Constable Chris Rowley and his senior team on Friday and “asked to be kept updated on the investigation”.
Rishi Sunak said he was “concerned that private information was put into the public domain”, telling broadcasters on Friday evening: “I’m pleased that the police are looking at how that happened in the investigation.
“Obviously my thoughts are with Nicola’s friends and family and the focus must now be on continuing to try and find her.”
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